Nursing inputs and outcomes of hospital care: an empirical analysis of Ontario's acute-care hospitals.

The authors analyze the association between intensity of nursing care (as measured by nursing hours per patient day), hospital bed days, and patient outcomes in acute-care hospitals in the province of Ontario, Canada, to determine whether higher levels of nursing inputs are associated with shorter lengths of stay (LOS) and, if so, whether these shorter LOS are achieved at the expense of health outcomes. After controlling for supply of nurses, …