Nurse administrators need methods to evaluate and compare staffing across a variety of hospitals because the degree of reengineering that actually has occurred in their communities can be difficult to assess. Multivariate analysis of factors affecting hospital registered nurse (RN) staffing in western New York revealed that the significant factors were the type of unit, nursing model, rural location, and use of aides and unit secretaries. Managed-care factors and alternative uses of staff did not affect RN staffing. Regional market variations may have significant impact on staffing solutions adopted by nurse executives.