Health care organizations around the world are faced with increasing financial pressures, with no end in sight. As a consequence, hospital executives often turn to the largest portion of their budget—nursing labor—when making cuts. Yet, evidence shows that cutting costs through elimination of nursing positions comes with great risk to patient safety and quality of care.

This toolkit is designed to help nursing leaders find quality-conscious answers to the cost cutting mandate. It includes best practices, resources, and tools to better match staffing to patient demand and reduce labor costs while safeguarding nursing personnel.

Note: This toolkit was originally created for members of our Global Centre for Nursing Executives. While it was developed with an international audience in mind, the tools and practices are applicable to U.S. organizations.