title: Correlates of Licensed and Unlicensed Nurse Staffing Levels on Inpatient Psychiatric Units.
abstract: Nurse staffing on inpatient psychiatric units was examined using data from a national sample of 409 hospitals. Hospitals' nonpsychiatric unit staffing predicted psychiatric unit staffing, accounting for 15.2% and 6.8% of variability in licensed and unlicensed staffing, respectively. Licensed and unlicensed staffing on psychiatric units were inversely related. Of the non-California hospitals in the study, 70% had annual levels of psychiatric unit staffing exceeding California's mandated 1:6 licensed staffing ratio.
authors.affiliation: Health Services and Outcomes Research, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri; and Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City.
authors.forename: Vincent S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Staggs
mesh_terms: D006282:Health Personnel; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D065102:Licensed Practical Nurses; D009726:Nurses; D061214:Patient Safety; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce