▁have ▁not ▁consist ently ▁shown ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁superior ▁out comes . ▁ ▁The ▁data ▁do ▁not ▁supply ▁a ▁consistent ▁answer ▁to ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁IC Us ▁would ▁obtain ▁better ▁out comes ▁if ▁they ▁added ▁n urs es ▁to ▁reduce ▁their ▁patient : n ur se ▁r ati os . ▁ ▁In cre asing ly , ▁non phys ician ▁prov iders ▁are ▁playing ▁innov ative ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁IC U , ▁and ▁care ▁provided ▁by ▁teams ▁including ▁nur se ▁pract ition ers ▁or ▁phys ician ▁assist ants ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁safe ▁and ▁compar able ▁to ▁that ▁provided ▁by ▁other ▁staff ing ▁models . ▁ ▁The ▁conditions ▁of ▁IC U ▁staff ing ▁will ▁continue ▁to ▁change ▁under ▁the ▁str esses ▁of ▁short ages ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁health ▁care ▁workers ▁relevant ▁to ▁IC U ▁care , ▁and ▁increasing ▁duty ▁hour ▁limitations ▁for ▁phys ician ▁tra ine es . ▁Non phys ician ▁prov iders , ▁innov ative ▁staff ing ▁models , ▁tele med ic ine , ▁and ▁other ▁techn ologies ▁will ▁be ▁increasing ly ▁used ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁these ▁real ities . ▁ ▁Since ▁only ▁quant itative ▁evaluation ▁can ▁tell ▁us ▁whether ▁one ▁staff ing ▁model ▁is ▁better ▁than ▁another , ▁we ▁need ▁more ▁research ▁from ▁multiple ▁sites ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁consistent ▁and ▁integrated ▁understanding ▁of ▁this ▁complex ▁topic . ▁ ▁Special ities ▁ ▁H osp it als ▁may ▁have ▁IC Us ▁that ▁c ater ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁medical ▁requirement ▁or ▁patient , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁listed ▁below : ▁ ▁Ne