The aim of this editorial is to consider the questions
raised by the papers presented in this special issue of the
International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS) in the context
of where the field of workforce research is heading, as
well as to pull out and discuss some of their implications for
policy and practice. The papers presented reflect the prevailing
preoccupations of the field, focussing on the size and
composition of the nurse workforce, the impact of the work
environments for nurses in various settings and the nature of
the relationship between staffing levels and outcomes. Three
key messages emerge from the findings. The first is a
remarkable consistency in the evidence base across countries
and clinical settings, noted in landmark papers such as Aiken
et al. (2001). The second is the need to protect and reward the
existing talent pool as well as invest in new nurses. The third
relates to modifiable factors within the environments in
which nurses practise, those factors over which leaders in
the profession can exercise some discretion and control to
improve outcomes and wellbeing of patients and workers