The relationship between length of stay and required nursing care hours.

The average length of stay (LOS) of patients in hospitals has declined rapidly since the introduction of the prospective payment system. It has been argued by nurses that reduced LOS is associated with increased nursing resource consumption, but there has been little empirical evidence to support the argument. The authors offer evidence of a relationship between LOS and hours per patient day in eleven clinical specialty areas. These findings have major implications for budgeting and the delivery of nursing care services.