Support for Nursing Workforce

Hospitals should implement critical components of a well-designed nursing workforce that mutually reinforces patient safeguards. The measure assesses whether hospitals have taken action across four dimensions:

1. Awareness, including holding educational meetings, reporting to the board, collecting and reporting data on staffing issues and adverse events
2. Accountability, including holding nursing and hospital leadership accountable for patient safety while including nurses as part of the senior leadership structure
3. Ability, including allocating sufficient time and resources to address staffing issues
4. Action, including adopting staffing plans, policies, and procedures to sustain performance improvement

Patients Included in the Measure

• Inpatients (Patients who are admitted to the hospital for at least one overnight stay)

• Outpatients (Patients who are admitted and discharged on the same day)

• Adults and Children