Implications for practice and research

• Nursing staff and administrators should be aware of the extensive evidence supporting the association of staffing and work hours on patient safety.

• Researchers should evaluate existing staffing policy legislations nationally and internationally to determine strengths and weaknesses of these approaches.

Context

For well over a decade, research examining the effect of nurse staffing on quality outcomes has grown extensively worldwide. As a result of these rigorous studies, the association between nurse staffing and patient safety has been established. Researchers are continuing to expand the context of nurse staffing literature by including factors such as the nurse's work environment, educational preparation and work hours in …