Neuroscience safe staffing benchmark statements explained

Staffing levels have long been a subject of debate in nursing. They are connected to quality of care, team cohesion, turnover, skill mix and managing risk (Harrington et al, 2012a), all of which are fundamental to providing quality, person-centred care. Indeed, staffing is a global issue in nursing; the impact on care is difficult to compare across countries, cultures and practices due to its multifactorial nature, making comparative studies a challenge in terms of accuracy and rigour. Evidence identifies that standards and levels of staffing within and across countries vary significantly (Harrington et al, 2012a). This same issue can also be applied across specialities, needing robust principles for practice to be available to guide decision-making in managing staffing levels and standards, and neurosciences is no exception. Benchmarking is one approach that may be taken to support this process, one that has been taken forward by the British Association of Neuroscience Nurses (BANN)