Nurse staffing found to impact quality of care

The size and mix of nurses in a hospitals throughout the country make a difference in the quality of care provided to patients, according to a Department of Health and Human Services study released last month. The study, Nurse Staffing and Patient Outcomes in Hospitals, found a consistent relationship between nurse staffing and outcomes for four medical conditions--urinary tract infections, pneumonia, shock, upper gastrointestinal bleeding--and length-of-stay.