Nursing-sensitive Outcomes Research Articles

Nursing-sensitive outcomes for the provision of pain management in pediatric populations with intellectual disabilities: a scoping review protocol.

The aim of this review is to identify and map nursing-sensitive outcomes for the provision of pain management in pediatric populations with intellectual disabilities that are currently reported in the literature. The experience of pain is highly individualized and subjective, with physiological, biochemical, and psychological differences contributing to pain perception. Pediatric populations with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of ubiquitous pain exposure. Pain management effectiveness can be determined through the measurement of nursing-sensitive outcomes, which have not been mapped in the context of pediatric populations with intellectual disabilities. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and gray literature discussing nursing pain management in pediatric populations with intellectual disabilities will be included. No date limits will be applied. Only studies published in English will be considered. This review will be guided by the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The search strategy will aim to locate published and unpublished literature using the databases CINAHL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Scopus, PsycINFO (ProQuest), LILACS, SciELO, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. Titles and abstracts, and then full-text studies, will be selected and reviewed by 2 independent researchers against the inclusion criteria. Content analysis using the NNQR-C, C-HOBIC, NDNQI, and Donabedian model frameworks will be used for data extraction and organization, accompanied by charted results and narrative summaries, as appropriate.

Connecting the Health Care Workforce with the Patient Experience.

This article is one in a series from Press Ganey-a health care performance improvement organization-that will discuss the many facets of the human experience in health care. Using the latest national data, the series will explore the intersections of safety, reliability, experience, and service, and their impact on engagement, work culture, and nurse-sensitive outcomes. Each installment will be designed as a "deep dive" into the most recent thinking and evidence-based approaches to improvement of the patient experience with a particular focus on practical and implementable tactics in each of the above subject areas.

Associations between hospital organizational features, person-centred care and nurse-sensitive outcomes for persons with dementia in acute care: A systematic literature review.

The aim of this systematic literature review was to determine the extent and quality of quantitative evidence regarding associations between hospital organizational features, person-centred care (PCC) and nursing-sensitive outcomes among persons with dementia in the acute care setting. Systematic review. Key terms were utilized to guide searches in four databases. The two reviewers deduplicated articles and came to a consensus for the final sample using inclusion and exclusion criteria. MEDLINE/OVID, CINHAL, COCHRANE and WEB OF SCIENCE. There were 10 studies included. PCC was associated with better outcomes for persons with dementia (i.e. decreased restraint use, decreased length of stay, increased involvement with families and the patient, and increased nurse confidence and competence in caring for this population). Of the studies, none explicitly identified an association between nursing-sensitive outcomes, PCC and hospital organizational features in the acute care setting among persons with dementia. This review highlights a clinically significant gap in knowledge regarding associations between hospital organizational features, PCC and nursing sensitive outcomes. The impact of face-to-face dementia competency training as a standard practice among acute care facilities, the importance of leadership engagement, support and involvement to improve nurse confidence and competence in caring for persons with dementia needs to be explored. These findings support future research to understand the relationship between organization features and patient-centred care and how these collectively impact nursing-sensitive outcomes, specifically in persons with dementia in acute care settings.

How Nurses Influence the Patient Experience.

This article is one in a series from Press Ganey-a health care performance improvement organization-that will discuss the many facets of the human experience in health care. Using the latest national data, the series will explore the intersections of safety, reliability, experience, and service, and their impact on engagement, work culture, and nurse-sensitive outcomes. Each installment will be designed as a "deep dive" into the most recent thinking and evidence-based approaches to improvement of the patient experience with a particular focus on practical and implementable tactics in each of the above subject areas.

Are falls a nursing sensitive outcome?

. Are falls a nursing sensitive outcome? Falls have historically been regarded as nursing-sensitive outcomes, i.e., problems that nurses can intervene in, to prevent their occurrence. However, falls are not a uniform phenomenon, as they can vary significantly and occur despite good nursing care. Furthermore, their predictability and preventability in the care of patients should be carefully considered. Since patient care involves multiple professionals, it is important to reflect on whether and to what extent a fall can be considered a sensitive outcome of nursing care or care in general. This contribution proposes some reflections on falls as a sensitive outcome and indicator of quality of care.

Nursing diagnoses as factors associated with delirium among intensive care unit patients with sepsis: A retrospective correlational study.

To examine whether nursing diagnoses were associated with delirium in patients with sepsis. Nursing diagnosis is a nurse's clinical judgement about clients' current or potential health conditions. Delirium is regarded as an important nurse-sensitive outcome. Nonetheless, nursing diagnoses associated with delirium have not yet been identified. Retrospective correlational study. This study was carried out from December 2021 to January 2023. We analysed electronic health records of patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of a tertiary hospital in Seoul, South Korea. Delirium was defined based on the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist score. Nursing diagnoses established within 24 h of admission to the ICU were included and were based on the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association diagnostic classification. The data were analysed using logistic regression. Demographics, comorbidities, procedures and physiological measures were adjusted. Regression model was evaluated via receiver operating characteristic curve, Nagelkerke R2, accuracy and F1 score. The prevalence of delirium in patients with sepsis was 51.8%. Ineffective breathing patterns, decreased cardiac output and impaired skin integrity were significant nursing diagnoses related to delirium. Age ≥ 65 years, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score, mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy, physical restraint and comatose state were also associated with delirium in patients with sepsis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.806. Ineffective breathing patterns, decreased cardiac output and impaired skin integrity could manifest as prodromal symptoms of delirium among patients with sepsis. The prodromal symptoms of delirium revealed through nursing diagnoses can be efficiently used to identify high-risk groups for delirium. The use of nursing diagnosis system should be recommended in clinical practice caring for sepsis patients. STROBE checklist. No patient or public involvement.

Nursing Sensitive Outcomes evaluation in the Emergency Department: An Umbrella Review.

The aim of this review was to identify reported nursing-sensitive outcomes in the Emergency Department to date. An Umbrella review was conducted. Four databases, CINAHL, Pubmed, Web of Science and Scopus, were searched from inception until October 2022. MeSH terms were: "nursing", "sensitivity and specificity", "emergency service, hospital", "nursing care". Two reviewers independently screened studies against the inclusion criteria for eligibility, extracted data and assessed study quality with the SIGN tool. Results of the included studies were summarized and described in themes for narrative analysis. The study was enrolled in the PROSPERO registry (CRD42022376941) and PRISMA guidelines were followed. The search strategy yielded 2289 records. After duplicate removal, title, abstract and full-text eligibility screening, nine systematic reviews were included in the review. A total of 35 nursing-sensitive outcomes were reported. The most described outcomes were waiting times, patient satisfaction and time to treatment. The less measured were mortality, left without being seen and physical function. Synthesizing nursing-sensitive outcomes in themes for reporting, the most measured outcomes were within the safety domain (n=20), followed by the clinical (n=9), perceptual (n=5) and the least explored functional domain (n=1). Nursing sensitive outcomes research in emergency nursing practice is a conceptual challenge still in its early stage. Several nursing-sensitive outcomes were identified in this review that can evaluate the contribution of emergency department nursing care to patient outcomes. Further research is required to explore patient outcomes sensitive to emergency nursing care.

The Value of Nursing Competence and Staffing for Patients in Critical Care: A Scoping Review

Background: Nurse competence and staffing in critical care are of interest to hospital managers and politicians, especially if a relationship exists between educated nurses and patient outcomes. Observational data can describe and measure the impact of critical care nursing practices in intensive care units and may be linked to outcomes. Objective: The aim of this study was to provide an understanding of how levels of nursing competence and staffing in intensive care units are described and associated with nurse-sensitive outcomes. Methods: A scoping review was conducted. Electronic databases, including CINAHL, Medline, Embase, the British Nursing Index, and SweMed+, were searched for English language studies from 2006 to 2023. The inclusion criteria were nurses working in critical care, nurse staffing ratio or assessment, and nurse-sensitive outcomes for intensive care patients. Results: Twenty-one studies were included. As only few studies mentioned the educational level of nurses and the studies used several job titles, it was difficult to interpret nursing competence. Studies that used valid tools for workloads often reported significant results of nursing staffing related to nurse-sensitive outcomes. Adverse events increased with higher levels of nurse workload, and some events were also affected by the level of competence. Lower mortality rate was linked to more nursing hours per patient. Conclusion: We found associations between education, nurse staffing, and nurse-sensitive outcomes in intensive and critical care units. To highlight its effects, advanced nursing competence in critical care and research must be better described. Patients’ need for nursing competence must be assessed using validated tools.

Demonstrating the Value of Ambulatory Care Nursing Through Measurement of Nurse-Sensitive Clinical Quality Indicators in the 2023 Magnet® Application Manual.

The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program's® mission and vision is to continually elevate patient care and transform healthcare globally through an environment where nurses and the interprofessional team flourish. Reflecting the larger shifts in the healthcare delivery system from inpatient to ambulatory care settings, the Commission on Magnet® continues to emphasize the contributions of nurses in ambulatory care settings in the 2023 Magnet Application Manual®. This Magnet® Perspectives column will discuss the valuable role of ambulatory care nurses across the continuum of care and review new requirements in the 2023 Magnet Application Manual for measurement of nurse-sensitive outcomes in the ambulatory care setting using nationally benchmarked measures. In addition, potential sources of nationally benchmarked ambulatory data and selection of ambulatory care outcome measures will be discussed.

SAT418 Nurse-Led Care For Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study Of International Context And Practice

Abstract Disclosure: D.L. Greenspan: None. B.P. White: None. E.G. Bobrowich: None. P. Carruthers: None. D. Ducar: None. C. Ernstsson: None. S. Barrett: None. A. Dwyer: None. Introduction: Gender minorities, including transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face health disparities and significant barriers in accessing healthcare. Lack of access to providers knowledgeable in TGD health needs is the single greatest barrier to care. Existing literature on TGD care has almost exclusively focused on physicians and there is scant literature on the role of nurses. We aimed to describe exemplars of nurse-led TGD care internationally to better understand the structure, process, and outcomes of nurse-led TGD care as well as recommended best practices nurse-led TGD care. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study used a convenience sample of nurse-led TGD clinics drawn from international endocrine nursing organizations. Identified clinics completed an online survey based on the Donabedian Model of quality care (structure, process, outcome). ‘Structure’ included a description of health system, guidelines used by the clinic, team composition/organization, and contextual medico-legal issues. Process assessed nursing roles/activities and perceived promoters/barriers to TGD care. Outcomes were assessed by identifying metrics employed by the clinics. Two independent investigators reviewed survey responses and collated descriptive findings in tables, used thematic analysis to identify salient features and themes, and validated the synthesis with respondents.Results: Five established TGD clinics were identified from the United States (n=3), United Kingdom, and Sweden. Clinics were government funded (n=2), based within academic medical centers (n=2), and a free-standing community practice. Respondents included both registered nurses and advance practice nurses (nurse practitioners/nurse prescribers) who provide pediatric (n=2), adult (n=1), and care across the lifespan (n=2). Common ‘structure’ elements included: creating a welcoming environment, interprofessional team, and use of clinical guidelines. The ‘process’ of care was characterized by: commitment to a gender-affirming philosophy and person-centered care, emphasis on collaborative care/team communication, and dedicated time for case management. Few outcomes were measured (primarily client census). All clinics noted the importance of access to care, training clinicians/staff, and structured data collection methods as promoters of high-quality TGD care.Discussion: Findings suggest nurses play an important role in increasing access to gender-affirming and person-centered care. Nursing care emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, health promotion, empowerment, and patient advocacy. We identify promoters and best practices based on expert opinion - yet more work is needed to establish evidence-based practices and nurse-sensitive outcome measures for TGD care. Presentation: Saturday, June 17, 2023

Research on missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Missed nursing care is defined as care that is delayed, partially completed, or not completed at all. The scenario created by the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced multifactorial determinants related to the care environment, nursing processes, internal processes, and decision-making processes, increasing missed nursing care. This scoping review aimed to establish the quantity and type of research undertaken on missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE, Scopus, two national and regional databases, two dissertations and theses databases, a gray literature database, two study registers, and a search engine from November 1, 2019, to March 23, 2023. We included quantitative, qualitative, and mixed studies carried out in all healthcare settings that examined missed nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Language restrictions were not applied. Two independent reviewers conducted study selection and data extraction. Disagreements between the reviewers were resolved through discussion or with an additional reviewer. We included 25 studies with different designs, the most common being acute care cross-sectional survey designs. Studies focused on determining the frequency and reasons for missed nursing care and its influence on nurses and organizational outcomes. Missed nursing care studies during the COVID-19 pandemic were essentially nurses-based prevalence surveys. There is an urgent need to advance the design and development of longitudinal and intervention studies, as well as to broaden the focus of research beyond acute care. Further research is needed to determine the impact of missed nursing care on nursing-sensitive outcomes and from the patient's perspective.

American Psychiatric Nurses Association Position: Staffing Inpatient Psychiatric Units.

An American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) task force reviewed current staffing research to revise and update the 2011 APNA "Staffing inpatient psychiatric units" position paper and provide recommendations to the APNA Board of Directors on how psychiatric mental health (PMH) nurses might champion the staffing needs of inpatient psychiatric units. Current research on staffing and nursing practice in inpatient psychiatric units was reviewed as well as variables believed to influence staffing and nursing practice, such as consumer needs and workplace culture. Since current nurse staffing principles emphasize nursing value and how that value is connected to outcomes, the literature search included a focus on staffing and related patient outcomes. PMH nurses are critical to the safety and quality of care in inpatient psychiatric units. However, there are little existing data on the relationship between staffing levels and even common adverse events such as staff injury and restraint of patients. Furthermore, there is scant research conducted on inpatient psychiatric units that informs optimal staffing models or establishes links between staffing and patient outcomes. Consistent with current evidence, the universal use of a single method or model of determining staffing needs (e.g., nursing hours per, case mix index, or mandatory ratios) is not recommended. PMH nurses should champion systematic evaluation of staffing on their inpatient units against select patient, nurse, and system outcomes. A data repository of PMH nurse-sensitive outcomes is necessary to benchmark unit performance and staffing.

Exploring the Human Experience in Health Care.

This is the first article in a new series from Press Ganey-a health care performance improvement organization-that will discuss the many facets of the human experience in health care. Using the latest national data, the series will explore the intersections of safety, reliability, experience, and service, and their impact on engagement, work culture, and nurse-sensitive outcomes. Each installment will be designed as a "deep dive" into the most recent thinking and evidence-based approaches to improvement of the patient experience with a particular focus on practical and implementable tactics in each of the above subject areas.

Validation of Nursing Outcomes Classification: Knowledge and Self-management for Cardiac Disease.

The Nursing Outcomes Classification provides two outcomes, Knowledge: Cardiac Disease and Self-management: Cardiac Disease, to assess knowledge and self-management behaviors of adults with cardiac disease. The purpose of this study was to validate the two nursing-sensitive outcomes to establish content validity. A methodological design was used using the Delphi technique. A total of 13 nurse experts in two domains participated in this study: five in standardized nursing terminologies and eight in self-management. Descriptive statistics and the Nurse-Patient Outcome Content Validity method were used to validate four aspects: definition adequacy of each outcome, clinical usefulness of measurement scales, importance of outcome indicators, and content similarity between the two outcomes. The definition adequacy, clinical usefulness, and content similarity of both outcomes were acceptable. A total of 81 indicators from the two outcomes were validated, and 60 were designated as critical. Nurses can evaluate cardiac patient outcomes effectively and accurately using these validated outcomes. The validated Nursing Outcomes Classification outcomes will also support the clinical decision-making of nursing students when they learn about patients with cardiac disease.

What Nursing-Sensitive Outcomes Have Been Investigated to Date among Patients with Solid and Hematological Malignancies? A Scoping Review.

Nursing-sensitive outcomes are those outcomes attributable to nursing care. To date three main reviews have summarized the evidence available regarding the nursing outcomes in onco-haematological care. Updating the existing reviews was the main intent of this study; specifically, the aim was to map the state of the art of the science in the field of oncology nursing-sensitive outcomes and to summarise outcomes and metrics documented as being influenced by nursing care. A scoping review was conducted in 2021. The MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were examined. Qualitative and quantitative primary and secondary studies concerning patients with solid/haematological malignancies, cared for in any setting, published in English, and from any time were all included. Both inductive and deductive approaches were used to analyse the data extracted from the studies. Sixty studies have been included, mostly primary (n = 57, 95.0%) with a quasi- or experimental approach (n = 26, 55.3%), conducted among Europe (n = 27, 45.0%), in hospitals and clinical wards (n = 29, 48.3%), and including from 8 to 4615 patients. In the inductive analysis, there emerged 151 outcomes grouped into 38 categories, with the top category being 'Satisfaction and perception of nursing care received' (n = 32, 21.2%). Outcome measurement systems included mainly self-report questionnaires (n = 89, 66.9%). In the deductive analysis, according to the Oncology Nursing Society 2004 classification, the 'Symptom control and management' domain was the most investigated (n = 44, 29.1%); however, the majority (n = 50, 33.1%) of nursing-sensitive outcomes that emerged were not includible in the available framework. Continuing to map nursing outcomes may be useful for clinicians, managers, educators, and researchers in establishing the endpoints of their practice. The ample number of instruments and metrics that emerged suggests the need for more development of homogeneous assessment systems allowing comparison across health issues, settings, and countries.

A Comparison of the Charlson and Elixhauser Methods for Predicting Nursing Indicators in Gastrectomy with Gastric Cancer Patients

Background: Comorbidity indices such as Charlson’s (CCI) and Elixhauser’s (ECI) are used to adjust the patient’s care, depending on the severity of their condition. However, no study has compared these indices’ ability to predict nursing-sensitive outcomes (NSOs). We compared the performance of CCI and ECI in predicting NSOs in gastric cancer patients’ gastrectomy. Methods: Gastric cancer patients with gastrectomy, aged 19 years or older and admitted between 2015 and 2016, were selected from the Korea Insurance Review and Assessment Service database. We examined the relationships between NSOs and CCI or ECI while adjusting patient and hospital characteristics with logistic regression. Results: The ECI item model was the best in view of the C-statistic and Akaike Information Criterion for total NSO, physiologic/metabolic derangement, and deep vein thrombosis, while the Charlson item model was the best for upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. For the C-statistic, the ECI item model was the best for in-hospital mortality, CNS complications, shock/cardiac arrest, urinary tract infection, pulmonary failure, and wound infection, while the CCI item model was the best for hospital-acquired pneumonia and pressure ulcers. Conclusions: In predicting 8 of 11 NSOs, the ECI item model outperformed the others. For other NSOs, the best model varies between the ECI item and CCI item model.

Quality Matters: Examining the Impact of Nurse Staffing Challenges on Clinical Outcomes.

The purpose of this study was to examine nurse staffing while describing the relationships that exist in staffing and quality associated with nursing care during the COVID-19 pandemic, a significantly challenging time for nurse staffing. We examined the relationship between permanent registered nurse (RN) and travel RN staffing during the pandemic and the nursing-sensitive outcomes of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), falls, and hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) and length of stay and compared the cost of CAUTIs, CLABSIs, falls, and HAPIs in fiscal years 2021 and 2022. We used a descriptive, observational design to retrospectively examine permanent nurse staffing volume and CAUTI, CLABSI, HAPI, and fall counts from October 1, 2019, to February 28, 2022, and travel nurse volume for the most current 12 months, April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and statistical process control analyses were completed. Pearson correlation showed a statistically significant, moderately strong negative correlation (r = -0.568, p = .001) between the active registered nurse full-time equivalents (RN FTEs) and average length of stay (ALOS), and a moderately strong positive correlation (r = 0.688, p = .013) between the travel RN FTEs and ALOS. Pearson correlations were not statistically significant, with low to moderate negative correlations for CAUTIs (r = -0.052, p = .786), CLABSIs (r = -0.207, p = .273), and falls (r = -0.056, p = .769). Pearson correlation for active RN and HAPI showed a moderately strong, statistically significant positive correlation (r = 0.499, p = .003). We observed common cause variation in CAUTIs and CLABSIs, with HAPIs and falls showing special cause variation via statistical process control. Despite the challenges associated with the lack of available nurse staffing accompanied by increasing responsibilities including unlicensed tasks, positive clinical outcomes can be maintained by staff adherence to evidence-based quality improvement.

Organizational citizenship behaviour as a protective factor against the occurrence of adverse nursing-sensitive outcomes: A multilevel investigation.

This study aimed to investigate the association between organizational citizenship behaviour enacted by nurses and the occurrence of adverse nursing-sensitive patient outcomes. Managing psychosocial factors (i.e., aspects concerning the work environment) is key to ensure patient safety, to prevent exacerbation of case complexity and to cope with critical shortages in human and financial resources. Self-report measures of nurses' organizational citizenship behaviour were combined with objective data on the incidence of adverse nursing-sensitive outcomes (i.e., pressure ulcers and restraint use) collected through patients' medical records. Participants were 11,345 patients and 1346 nurses across 52 teams working in 14 Italian hospitals. Data were analysed using multilevel binary logistic regression models. A negative relationship between nurses' organizational citizenship behaviour and restraint use was identified, with an odds ratio of 0.11. Thus, for a one-unit higher organizational citizenship behaviour score, the odds of using restraints shrink to about one eighth of the previous level. Intervention strategies to foster the implementation of organizational citizenship behaviour among nurses may inhibit the occurrence of critical outcomes affecting patients' health and well-being (i.e., using restraint devices). In health care organizations, shaping a psychosocial environment encouraging organizational citizenship behaviour can mitigate the occurrence of adverse nursing-sensitive outcomes such as restraint use on patients.

Exploring nurse-sensitive patient outcomes in Dutch district nursing care: A survey study.

There is a lack of evidence to guide district nurses in using nurse-sensitive patient outcomes as it is unclear how these outcomes are currently used in daily district nursing practice. Therefore, we aimed to explore (1) which nurse-sensitive patient outcomes are measured and how these outcomes are measured, (2) how district nurses use the outcomes to learn from and improve current practice and (3) the barriers and facilitators to using outcomes in current district nursing practice. An exploratory cross-sectional survey study was conducted. The survey was distributed online among nurses working for various district nursing care organisations across the Netherlands. The responses from 132 nurses were analysed, demonstrating that different instruments or questionnaires are available and used in district nursing care as outcome measures. The nurse-sensitive patient outcomes most often measured with validated instruments are pain using the Numeric Rating Scale or Visual Analogue Scale, delirium using the Delirium Observation Scale, weight loss using the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire and caregiver burden using the Caregiver Strain Index or a Dutch equivalent. Falls and client satisfaction with delivered care are most often measured using unvalidated outcome measures. The other nurse-sensitive outcomes are measured in different ways. Outcomes are measured, reported and fed back to the nursing team multiple times and in various ways to learn from and improve current practice. In general, nurses have a positive attitude towards using nurse-sensitive outcomes in practice, but there is a lack of facilitation to support them. Because insight into how nurses can and should be supported is still lacking, exploring their needs in further research is desirable. Additionally, due to the high variation in the utilisation of outcomes in current practice, it is recommended to create more uniformity by developing (inter)national guidelines on using nurse-sensitive patient outcomes in district nursing care.

Nurse-Reported Staffing Guidelines and Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding.

Nursing care is essential to overall quality of healthcare experienced by patients and families-especially during childbearing. However, evidence regarding quality of nursing care during labor and birth is lacking, and established nurse-sensitive outcome indicators have limited applicability to maternity care. Nurse-sensitive outcomes need to be established for maternity care, and prior research suggests that the initiation of human milk feeding during childbirth hospitalization is a potentially nurse-sensitive outcome. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nurse-reported staffing, missed nursing care during labor and birth, and exclusive breast milk feeding during childbirth hospitalization as a nurse-sensitive outcome. 2018 Joint Commission PC-05 Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding rates were linked to survey data from labor nurses who worked in a selected sample of hospitals with both PC-05 data and valid 2018 American Hospital Association Annual Survey data. Nurse-reported staffing was measured as the perceived compliance with Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses staffing guidelines by the labor and delivery unit. Data from the nurse survey were aggregated to the hospital level. Bivariate linear regression was used to determine associations between nurse and hospital characteristics and exclusive breast milk feeding rates. Generalized structural equation modeling was used to model relationships between nurse-reported staffing, nurse-reported missed care, and exclusive breast milk feeding at the hospital level. The sample included 184 hospitals in 29 states and 2,691 labor nurses who worked day, night, or evening shifts. Bivariate analyses demonstrated a positive association between nurse-reported staffing and exclusive breast milk feeding and a negative association between missed nursing care and exclusive breast milk feeding. In structural equation models controlling for covariates, missed skin-to-skin mother-baby care and missed breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth mediated the relationship between nurse-reported staffing and exclusive breast milk feeding rates. This study provides evidence that hospitals' nurse-reported compliance with Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses staffing guidelines predicts hospital-exclusive breast milk feeding rates and that the rates are a nurse-sensitive outcome.