Andrew Dierkes is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and director of the Health Services and Policy Research Hub, a collaborative initiative advancing health policy research, education, and impact. His research focuses on the role of bedside nurses and their assistive personnel in hospitals, particularly how nurse-patient assignments influence workforce well-being, clinical outcomes, and resource use. He has also studied pressing healthcare delivery and policy issues such as sepsis care and outcomes, Pay for Performance programs, California’s nurse staffing mandate, and the role of nurse unions.