For hospitals striving to maintain accreditation and achieve high-quality care, the spotlight is now firmly on nurse staffing. The Joint Commission’s updated “National Performance Goals” elevate safe and adequate nurse staffing from a regulatory footnote to a core performance expectation — and that shift matters deeply for patient safety, nursing workforce strategy and institutional reputation. At 3B Healthcare, we believe understanding this change is essential for hospital leadership, nurse executives and clinical teams alike.
Nurse Staffing Becomes Central to Performance Goals
The American Nurses Association (ANA) greeted the announcement as a landmark victory: for the first time, nurse staffing is explicitly elevated to one of the Joint Commission’s top performance goals. According to ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy:
“For decades, nurses have sounded the alarm that safe staffing saves lives. The inclusion of nurse staffing … validates what nurses have always known.”
Previously part of accreditation standards but not highlighted in goal‐setting language, staffing requirements have now been pulled into the spotlight. The Joint Commission states that this change underscores how “care delivery models, including the management of workforce resources and clinical teams, are crucial to the delivery of safe, high-quality care.”
Under the new Goal 12, hospitals must demonstrate compliance with policies and procedures related to nurse staffing and numeration — including that a registered nurse (RN) is on duty 24/7, and that there are adequate licensed practical/vocational nurses and other staff to meet patient care demands. Hospitals designated as Critical Access Hospitals must ensure “a nurse is on duty whenever … inpatients are present.”
By elevating these staffing mandates into performance goal language rather than buried standards, the Joint Commission signals that nurse staffing is now part of the performance equation—it’s not just “nice to have,” but integral to safety and quality.
Nurse Staffing Becomes Central to Performance Goals
- Impact on patient safety:
Decades of research have linked higher RN staffing levels with lower mortality, fewer adverse events and better outcomes. A systematic review found that increased RN staffing was associated with reductions in hospital-related mortality and healthcare‐associated infections. Public reporting remains limited—only eight U.S. states currently mandate hospital nurse staffing disclosure.
- Accreditation & reimbursement implications:
While the Joint Commission clarifies that performance goals are not new requirements per se, their inclusion raises institutional awareness and prioritization of nurse staffing. As one nurse academic noted, “the only real solution is established staffing limits … with accountability that [hospitals] have to be held to those standards.” Without clear definitions of “adequate” staffing, hospitals may face ambiguous risk.
- Workforce challenges ahead:
The U.S. healthcare staffing shortage is acute. The healthcare staffing market is projected to grow significantly (e.g., from about USD 21.6 billion in 2025 to USD 40.2 billion by 2034) as hospitals respond to shortages, burnout and retention challenges. Nurse staffing is not simply a matter of numbers but skill mix, supervision, training and support. Workforce models such as “team nursing,” while attractive for flexibility, may de-skill RNs or mask understaffing risks.
What Hospitals Should Do Today
- Review and refine nurse staffing policies – Ensure your institution’s staffing policies are current, in writing, and aligned with the performance goal expectations.
- Evaluate skill-mix and supervision models – It’s not just about counting heads; hospitals need to ensure that RNs provide direct care or supervision of other nursing staff 24/7.
- Monitor metrics and thresholds – Use evidence-based tools to assess staffing needs, establish minimum acceptable levels, and monitor deviations or overtime triggers.
- Align leadership structure and accountability – The performance goal highlights the role of the nurse executive in directing staffing strategy. Leadership must be engaged and resourced.
- Communicate clearly – Staff and front-line nurses must understand institutional expectations on staffing, supervision, escalation pathways and how staffing relates to patient safety.
- Prepare for transparency pressures – Although only some states require public reporting of nurse staffing, the trend toward disclosure is increasing. Hospitals should ready internal data systems and governance for potential reporting demands.
Conclusion
The elevation of nurse staffing to a national performance goal by the Joint Commission marks a pivotal moment for healthcare organizations. It forces nurse staffing out of the shadows and onto the main stage of hospital performance, accreditation and safety culture. For hospitals committed to excellence, this shift is both a challenge and an opportunity: to invest in effective staffing models, empower nurse leadership and ultimately improve patient care. At 3B Healthcare, we stand ready to support hospitals in translating this new expectation into sustained practice and measurable outcomes.
Suggested FAQ Section (for AEO + SEO boost):
Nurse staffing refers to assigning the right number of qualified nurses to meet patient care needs. Adequate nurse staffing improves patient safety, reduces errors, and supports better outcomes.
The Joint Commission elevated nurse staffing to a National Performance Goal, requiring hospitals to maintain adequate staffing levels and ensure a registered nurse is on duty 24/7.
Safe nurse staffing prevents burnout, reduces infections, and lowers readmission rates. Studies show hospitals with better nurse-to-patient ratios have higher survival and satisfaction rates.
Hospitals should review staffing policies, strengthen nurse leadership, track workload metrics, and ensure skill-mix adequacy to comply with the Joint Commission’s updated goals.
Failure to comply can impact accreditation, patient satisfaction, and staff retention — and in severe cases, may lead to safety incidents or regulatory penalties.
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