title: Mandating nurse staffing in Pennsylvania: more than a numbers game.
abstract: Current federal and state legislation for mandated nurse staffing falls short of the ideal plan. Hospital nurse-staffing ratios are inadequate to maintain patient safety and quality nursing care. Mandating fixed nurse-to-patient ratios does not accommodate changes in patients' needs, evolving technology, and experience of nursing staff and will be immediately obsolete. Ideal measurement of nurse staffing incorporates nurse skill level and patient acuity. The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association supports legislation to establish patient acuity-based nurse staffing.
authors.affiliation: Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, Charleston, USA. devandr@musc.edu
authors.forename: Suzanne N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: DeVandry
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D033161:Government Regulation; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D016526:Workload