A key part of resource allocation decisions is determining the impact of staffing on clinical outcomes. A national study involving eight hospitals and 77 units lends support for a previously identified labor assignment phenomena that may contribute to an underestimation of the impact of nursing labor on outcomes if only traditional labor measurement methods are used. The authors suggest actions for nurse administrators and researchers who must address frequent queries as to the adequacy of nursing staffing.

Focus groups are an appropriate data collection method when one wants to listen to and gather information from a homogenous group of participants. Faculty members from a baccalaureate program used this technique to learn more about their students' perceptions of NCLEX-RN preparation practices. Themes were identified that could lead to more controlled study and ways to effectively remediate those at risk for failure.