RNs may cost less than you think.

The health care environment is in a new era. Hospital and nursing administrators will be faced with tough decisions regarding number and skill level of staff. Productivity of various levels of nursing personnel is one parameter upon which decisions can be made. In this research, productivity is defined as the percentage of time spent in direct care, indirect care, and unit-related activities. The research indicates that the higher the level of personnel, the higher the productivity.