title: Linking economics and quality: developing an evidence-based nurse staffing tool.
abstract: The evidence linking nurse staffing with patient outcomes has been established; however, incorporating the evidence into practice is lagging. This article describes a practice/academic collaborative initiated to promote the translation of staffing research into decision-making through the development of an evidence-based staffing tool. Reports of previous research on nurse staffing and patient and financial outcomes are summarized, and aspects of the 2 phases of the collaborative to date are discussed. In the initial phase, a pilot research study on nurse staffing and patient outcomes in medical-surgical units support previous findings that higher nurse staffing results in positive patient outcomes. The focus in the current phase is expansion of the pilot research and the development of a decision-making staffing tool based on the additional staffing research. Identifying the critical data elements and sources of the data are major challenges to achieving the project objectives. Other challenges are maintaining interest and creating wide-spread understanding of the importance of nurse managers having access to timely, useable information. The success of the collaborative is due to the commitment and participation of leaders from various disciplines in both organizations.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama in Huntsville, College of Nursing, Huntsville, Alabama, USA. faye.anderson@uah.edu
authors.forename: E Faye
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Karen H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Frith
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Caspers
mesh_terms: D000407:Alabama; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004469:Economics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055318:Evidence-Based Nursing / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010563:Personnel Turnover / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000078329:Workforce