Tool used to match nurse staffing to workload

A nursing workload acuity tool successfully assisted in daily and annual nursing resource planning, a study found. Published in the January issue of the Journal of Nursing Administration, the study found two medical surgical units at a large academic medical center in southern California met average staffing needs based on the intensity of nursing care required to meet individual patient needs 96% to 99% of the time. The authors collected six weeks of retrospective data from the electronic health record, electronic staffing system and daily staffing request forms submitted by charge nurses. They also interviewed the charge nurses. The authors note when evaluating nursing resources, averages alone can mislead because they may fail to identify chronic shortages for specific shifts.