Slide Presentation of the 2007 Annual Meeting of AHRQ

Working Conditions and Patient Safety

• Growing concern that poor working conditions in the health care sector is contributing to decreasing patient safety (IOM, 2004).
• An acute nursing shortage that will not be as cyclic as past shortages due to
  • Aging workforce
  • Aging population and increased demand for nursing services
  • Poor working conditions resulting in difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified nursing personnel