ANA principles: the framework for nurse staffing to positively impact outcomes.

ANA's Principles for Nurse Staffing, Second Edition, does not offer the sole methodology to planning and allocating nurse staffing, but does explain the myriad of factors that must be taken into account in order to achieve a successful plan. It is a compass for navigating those "natural forces" that can foil even the best staffing plans. As delivery systems evolve towards better care, so too must the attitudes towards nurse staffing.

Adapting standards of care under extreme conditions.

The filing of criminal charges against a group of clinicians in New Orleans for failure to meet expected standards of care following the hurricanes of 2005 made the growing concern among health professionals about care provided during extreme emergencies or disasters all too real. Questions about what may lead to censure, penalties from licensing boards, or lawsuits have come from nurses, physicians, and many other licensed health professionals. A panel convened by the American Nurses Association that included representatives of medical, public health, hospital, and government agencies considered the ethical, professional, and practical aspects of meeting standards of care in such circumstances.