Substituting lower-wage staff for hospital RNs is a poor business model

When hospitals replace registered nurses (RNs) with licensed practical nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel, patients are more likely to die, experience readmissions, and have longer hospital stays, and Medicare must bear millions of dollars annually in avoidable costs. Moreover, there is no business case for this practice—hospitals actually experience a negative return on investment.

Widespread staff shortages exacerbate pressures facing radiation oncology clinics; ASTRO Advocacy Day calls for action

More than 9 in 10 radiation oncologists report that their practices face clinical staff shortages, according to a new national survey from the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). More than half (53%) of the doctors said the shortages are creating treatment delays for patients, and 44% say they are causing increased patient anxiety.

Toolkit: Immediate Strategies to Improve Nurse Staffing

A specially convened Think Tank of a diverse group of front-line nurses, nursing leaders and other key stakeholders has published a set of priorities and recommendations that provide immediate strategies that can be feasibly implemented in the short term (12-18 months) to help address the nurse staffing crisis.