This article discusses changes in nurses training and new hospital management strategies. Illustrates how the work environment for nurses has transformed and introduces the controversy of technology vs hands-on care.
Identifies areas and opportunities for action that identified by expert decision makers in nurse staffing and patient safety and informed by research evidence.
Provides a review, analysis, and discussion of six major research documents on Canadian nursing human resource issues, and discusses the current nationwide shortage of nurses.
Discusses how staffing patterns and nurses' working conditions are risk factors for healthcare-associated infections as well as occupational injuries and infections. Highlights staffing shortages, especially of nurses, as one of the major factors expected to constrain hospitals' ability to deal with future outbreaks of emerging infections. Argues that understanding and improving nurses' working conditions can potentially decrease the incidence of many infectious diseases.
Details 51 recommendations for improving the work life of nurses. Addresses the central issues identified as barriers to a quality workplace for Canadian nurses, namely: the need to increase the number of nurses; the need to improve the education and maximize the scope of practice of nurses; and the need to improve working conditions of nurses.
Reviews progress on implementing the CNAC recommendations for improving the work life of nurses, by identifying policy-level factors hindering or helping progress.
