Nurse staffing and outcomes for pulmonary lobectomy: Cost and mortality trade-offs.

Background: Nurse staffing impacts patient outcomes, but little is known about the relationship between nurse staffing and outcomes for lung cancer patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy.

Objectives: To examine the association between nurse staffing and outcomes following lobectomy for lung cancer.

Methods: Patients (N = 16,994) with lung cancer between who underwent lobectomy between 2008-2011 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample.