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To the Editor: Dr Aiken and colleagues¹ report on the worsening problems of burnout among hospital nurses and the resulting lack of safety to patients. Online and external degree nursing programs may improve recruitment, as would encouraging more young men to pursue nursing positions. A substantial and immediate salary increase may also help to bring some nurses back to the bedside. In the meantime, family members and/or significant others should plan to assist with bedside care to whatever level they can be successfully trained and are comfortable. The benefits of everyone helping could improve patient safety and may decrease some preventable deaths.

Deirdre Davis, RN, BSN, CCRN
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, Ga

1. Aiken LH, Clarke SP, Sloane DM, Sochalski J, Silber JH. Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA. 2002;288:1987-1993. FREE FULL TEXT

JAMA. 2003;289:549.

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