A workforce management strategy that builds organizational resiliency. Case study: Sanford Health
Technology used wisely can help balance staff and patient needs. Takeaways: Workforce management infrastructure should be built on the foundation…
staffing
ANA releases updated Principles for Nurse Staffing
In September, the American Nurses Association (ANA) released an update to its Principles for Nurse Staffing, a guide to help…
Caring and advocating for school children
When we think about RN staffing issues, most of us immediately think about these issues in the context of hospitals…
Ethics case study: Poor staffing results in brain-damaged patient
Author Leah Curtin discusses the ethical issue of short staffing.
From our readers…Creative staffing solutions for floating and low census
Many hospitals have fluctuations in patient volumes that require staffing adjustments. Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine, is no exception —…
From Your ANA President
HAVING WORKED in an emergency department for more than 20 years, I know what it’s like to have to think…
Headlines from the Hill
ANA’s legislative agenda introduced in the 113th Congress
Healthy schedules, healthy nurses
Fatigue is common among shift-work nurses, and longer shifts and overtime are associated with increased patient errors and undesirable nurse health outcomes. Consistent with the American Nurses Association’s 2017 focus on the healthy nurse, one of the best ways for a workplace to promote nurse health is with its scheduling practices.
Issues up close
How NDNQI® data are helping top hospitals improve nursing quality
It’s time for data-driven, patient-centered workforce management
How to transform data into effective staffing. Takeaways: Many sources of healthcare system data influence staffing outcomes. Nurses—especially nurse executives—can…
Joining the fight for safe staffing: Q&A with Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite
Interview by Michelle M. Artz, MA Last November, Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) joined with Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) to introduce…
Key components for optimal staffing
New principles help make this complex goal attainable. (more…)
Level loading nurse assignments based on the work intensity
Takeaways Nursing assignments frequently are based on ratios and geography rather than work intensity associated with a specific patient assignment.…
Leveraging size while remaining nimble with a workforce management strategy. Case Study: Advocate Aurora Health
Having a staffing vision promotes optimal response to patient surges. Takeaways: Shared governance and an infrastructure to support collaboration between…
NEJM study finds low RN staffing increases mortality
According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, RN staffing that falls below targeted levels was associated…
Nurse staffing and patient experience outcomes: A close connection
As healthcare providers set and refine their strategies for staying competitive in a value-based delivery and payment system, a sharper…
Nurse turnover: Understand it, reduce it
What can employers do to increase nurse retention? Takeaways: Because of the stress involved in nursing, many healthcare organizations have…
Nurses’ crucial role in preventing and documenting conditions not present on admission
Medicare has reduced its reimbursement for hospital-acquired conditions. Will some hospitals try to offset the shortfall by slashing nurse staffing?
One giant leap
Many of us may be too young to remember the original broadcast of Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, but…
Optimal staffing for safe patient care: What will it take?
Optimal staffing for safe patient care continues to be a top concern of the nation’s 2.8 million employed registered nurses…
Patient confidence in nurses decreases when hospitals are understaffed
Nurses are well respected by the public. However, according to a recently published study, patients lose confidence in nurses and…
Positive RN staffing reduces stroke mortality
The ratio of RNs on the weekends affects mortality outcomes after stroke, according to a study in PLOS Medicine. Patients…
Progress on nurses working environment made
A study in Critical Care Nurse reports that the health of critical-care nurses’ work environments has improved since 2013, but…
Safe staffing saves lives
ANA’s “Safe Staffing Saves Lives” campaign fights for safe nurse staffing legislation.
Safe staffing saves lives – ANA advances RN Staffing bill
Recent studies have demonstrated what most healthcare consumers already know: nursing care and quality patient care are inextricably linked. Reduced…
Staffing committees: A safe staffing solution that includes engagement
With nurse input, this hospital strives for staffing satisfaction. Takeaways: Staffing and scheduling presents some of the greatest challenges for…
Study: Appropriate nurse staffing lowers hospital readmission rates
In a study published by Health Affairs, hospitals with higher nurse staffing had 25% lower odds of being penalized for…
Study: Nurse understaffing associated with infections in neonatal ICUs
A study in JAMA Pediatrics found that nurse understaffing was associated with an increased risk for nosocomial infections in very…
Supporting novice nurses in a float pool
As the nursing profession strives to advance care delivery, it’s faced with many challenges, including adequately educating nurses and effectively managing staffing and retention issues. We need new, innovative solutions to effectively deal with these challenges. Christiana Care Health System (CCHS) developed a unique medical nurse float pool to support medical nursing units by decreasing overtime costs and managing unpredictable staffing needs.
Surge planning and a tiered staffing model
Takeaways: Develop proactive surge planning approaches in advance of a crisis. Predictive modeling, such as, anticipating staffing needs, allows for…
Take Note – December 2006
CDC recommends HIV screening for everyone New recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call for routine…
The imperative for an electronic nurse scheduling system
Prioritize the need and make a positive impact Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Best Practices for Workforce Management:…
This week is Healthcare Quality Week!
Healthcare Quality Week (October 20 – 26) is in full swing, and we wish to recognize the importance of this…
Understanding the charge nurse’s role in staffing
If you’re a charge nurse, you know making patient assignments is stressful. Call bells light up the hallways like Christmas…
What are your shift pain points?
Staffing—it’s complicated. As a frontline nurse, you acutely feel the pain when plans to adequately staff units go awry. As…
What price are you willing to pay?
Leah Curtin discusses the challenge of a moral problem.
What to expect from correctional nursing
Takeaways: Correctional nursing is a growing specialty that’s evolving to meet the needs of incarcerated populations in a variety of…
What works: Assessing and addressing care management education and competency
Onboarding program designed to reduce turnover, increase morale, and improve care. Takeaways: Challenges faced within care management at Beaumont Health’s…
Workforce management strategies in times of uncertainty
Rely on data, technology, policies and processes, people, and patient-centered staffing. Takeaways: A data-driven workforce strategy can reduce chaos when…
