Perceived adequacy of staffing depends on staff nurses’ perceptions of the work environment in the unit.

The Scene: Conference room where staff is assembling for morning report, 6:55 am

Patient Roster: Essentially the same as yesterday

You: Have been working on this unit for 5 years. You’re a good nurse, a team player, and you enjoy your work. On the way into the conference room, you meet a peer, an experienced nurse that you’ve worked with quite a bit. You worked together yesterday.

Your Peer: “Patients aren’t too bad today—no crises and no new admits during the night so, if we have the same number and same people as we had yesterday, we should make it OK and patients will get what they need.”

You: “I agree. We had a few rough spots but on the whole it was a good day.” You enter the conference room and look at...

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