Precision Nurse Staffing and Scheduling Starts with Empirical Data

When it comes to defining nurse staffing and staffing standards, nurse executives and nurse managers all agree that heightening workloads and burdens for nursing caring for increasingly complex patients may cause harm, reduce quality, and lead to poor patient care outcomes. Fundamental to the safety and excellence in providing patient care is the staffing and scheduling that "start with the patient and synergize patient needs with the skills and numbers of staff required within the context of the ecosystem to create excellence in outcomes" (Kerfoot, 2018, p. 190).

Using data-driven technology has aided in the reduction in nurse overtime hours, decreased patient errors, nurse injuries, and turnover. The growing scientific evidence and research reveals nurse staffing has a significant effect on patient outcomes. Almost 40% of operating costs, nurse are often targeted as a way to reduce costs through decreased work hours or other cost-saving measures. Nursing Economic$' annual Special Issue on Staffing Excellence continues to draw attention to the multiple factors affecting nurse staffing and scheduling. The research continues...