National Collaboration Explores Excellence and Evidence in Staffing

There is a growing appreciation for the pervasive influence of staffing on the financial and operational performance of health systems. These implications, underscored by the current economic crisis and the mandate to shore up operations with new levels of efficiency, lend credence to the importance of developing strategic staffing initiatives. With a solid and expanding body of research identifying the relationship of staffing to quality of care, patient safety, length of stay, and patient and caregiver satisfaction, the discussions around staffing have shifted. We are no longer debating the importance of staffing; we are now exploring the best ways to approach the challenges that staffing presents and trying to understand how to transform this most fundamental aspect of care delivery.