Evaluating the performance and contribution of nurses to achieve an environment of safety

Increasing evidence demonstrates that the quality and stability of nursing personnel substantially influence patient outcomes and healthcare costs. However, standardized performance measures to quantify this influence are limited by the gaps in the understanding of this connection and the underdeveloped state of measure development. Given the importance of nurses and the growing trend to make healthcare quality information available to consumers and purchasers, the paucity of standardized nursing-sensitive performance measures is a major void. To address these needs, the National Quality Forum (NQF) undertook a consensus project to endorse an initial set of performance measures for nursing-sensitive care and to define a research agenda that supports future refreshment and expansion of the national voluntary consensus standards in this area. This article describes the innovative approach taken by NQF to endorse a set of national voluntary consensus standards for nursing-sensitive care and the implications for use.