In a study released in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, Dr. Linda Aiken and her colleagues confirmed the findings from their landmark 2003 study (see below) which show a strong link between RN education level and patient outcomes. The noted nurse researchers found that every 10% increase in the proportion of BSN nurses on the hospital staff was associated with a 4% decrease in the risk of death.


In the January 2007 Journal of Advanced Nursing, a study of 46,993 patients conducted by researchers at the University Toronto found that hospitals with higher proportions of baccalaureateprepared nurses tended to have lower 30-day mortality rates. The findings indicated that a 10% increase in the proportion of baccalaureate prepared nurses was associated with 9 fewer deaths for every 1,000 discharged patients.

In a study published in the March/April 2005 Nursing Research, Dr. Carole Estabrooks and her colleagues at the University of Alberta found that baccalaureate prepared nurses have a positive impact on mortality rates following an examination of more than 18,000 patient outcomes at 49
Canadian hospitals. This study, The Impact of Hospital Nursing Characteristics on 30-Day Mortality, confirmed the findings from Dr. Aiken’s landmark study from 2003.

In a study published in the September 24, 2003 Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr.
Linda Aiken and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania identified a clear link between higher levels of nursing education and better patient outcomes. This extensive study found that surgical patients have a "substantial survival advantage" if treated in hospitals with higher proportions of nurses educated at the baccalaureate or higher degree level. A 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding BSN degrees decreased the risk of patient death and failure to rescue