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Federal and state policymakers are grappling with whether to establish regulations to control nurse staffing levels in hospitals and other health care settings. While many studies find that higher nurse staffing is associated with better patient outcomes, this body of research has limitations that make it difficult to identify the “just right” level of staffing. This session will examine what the research tells us, and what it does not. The limited literature on the relationship between nurse staffing and obstetric outcomes will be reviewed, as will current data on the range of nurse staffing levels in labor and delivery departments. Policy options for addressing low nurse staffing problems will be reviewed, along with the current status of California’s landmark minimum nurse-to-patient ratio legislation. Recommendations for future practice and policy will be made.

For 2010 Convention attendees only: You may obtain credit for TE sessions, with the exception of any TE session you attended onsite. A CNE certificate for 1.0 contact hour is awarded for listening to a recording of the educational session and completing an on-line participant feedback form. http://www.awhonn.org/awhonn/convCNE/index.jsp