Nurses key to Kaiser Permanente quality

Editor's Note

New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing shows patient and nurse outcomes in Kaiser Permanente hospitals were significantly better than other hospitals. Differences in nursing explained a significant proportion of Kaiser’s outcomes advantages.

The researchers found that Kaiser hospitals have significantly better nurse work environments, staffing levels, and more nurses with bachelor’s degrees. Kaiser hospitals’ outcomes were comparable to Magnet hospitals.

 Background: The Kaiser Permanente model of integrated health delivery is highly regarded for high-quality and efficient health care. Efforts to reproduce Kaiser's success have mostly failed. One factor that has received little attention and that could explain Kaiser's advantage is its commitment to and investment in nursing as a key component of organizational culture and patient-centered care.