Nursing Activities Score in the intensive care unit: analysis of the related factors.

BACKGROUND: High costs of intensive care as well as quality of care and patient safety demand measurement of nursing workload in order to determine nursing staff requirements. It is also important to be aware of the factors related to high patient care demands in order to help forecast staff requirements in intensive care units (ICUs). OBJECTIVES: To describe nursing workload using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS); to explore the association between NAS and patients variables, i.e. gender, age, length of stay (LOS), ICU discharge, treatment in the ICU, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) and Therapeutic Interventions Scoring System-28 (TISS-28). METHODS: NAS, demographic data, SAPS II and TISS-28 were analysed among 200 patients from four different ICUs in a private hospital in S?o Paulo, Brazil. RESULTS: NAS median were 66.4%. High NAS scores (> 66.4%) were associated with death (p-value 0.006) and LOS (p-value 0.015). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that TISS-28 scores above 23 and SAPS II scores above 46.5 points, classified as high, increased 5.45 and 2.78 times, respectively, the possibility of a high workload as compared to lower values of the same indexes. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the highest NAS scores were associated with increased mortality, LOS, severity of the patient illness (SAPS II), and particularly to TISS-28 in the ICU.     

治疗干预评分系统-28在ICU护理工作量评估中的应用研究

[目的]探讨治疗干预评分系统-28(TISS-28)在重症监护病房(ICU)护理工作量评估中的应用。[方法]应用TISS-28评分软件,选择ICU病人24h内病情最重时进行评分,并记录ICU每天护士岗位职数。[结果]每位病人每天TISS-28评分为29.11分±8.29分,ICU每天总的TISS-28评分为236.38分±73.75分,每天满足病人直接护理需要的护士岗位职数为17.87人±5.93人,而实际每天护士岗位职数为13.45人±2.70人;ICU护士每天人均TISS-28评分为52.84分±14.00分;1周中每天的总工作量比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),1周中每天护士人均护理工作量比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。[结论]TISS-28可准确、简便地测量ICU护理工作量,ICU护士处于超负荷工作状态,ICU护士人力资源现状与所需存在一定的差距。     

治疗干预评分系统-28在ICU护理工作量评估中的应用研究

[目的]探讨治疗干预评分系统-28（TISS-28）在重症监护病房（ICU）护理工作量评估中的应用。[方法]应用TISS-28评分软件,选择ICU病人24h内病情最重时进行评分,并记录ICU每天护士岗位职数。[结果]每位病人每天TISS-28评分为29.11分±8.29分,ICU每天总的TISS-28评分为236.38分±73.75分,每天满足病人直接护理需要的护士岗位职数为17.87人±5.93人,而实际每天护士岗位职数为13.45人±2.70人;ICU护士每天人均TISS-28评分为52.84分±14.00分;1周中每天的总工作量比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）,1周中每天护士人均护理工作量比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。[结论]TISS-28可准确、简便地测量ICU护理工作量,ICU护士处于超负荷工作状态,ICU护士人力资源现状与所需存在一定的差距。     

不同量表在测量ICU护理工作量中的应用

目的 了解应用护理活动评估量表(nursing activities score,NAS)和治疗干预评分系统28版(simplified therapeutic intervention scoring system,TISS-28)测量ICU护理工作量情况,分析两种量表间的一致性.方法 选择在自贡市两所医院ICU住院治疗的305例患者,同时应用TISS-28量表和NAS量表测量ICU护理工作量,分析两种量表间的一致性及测算两所医院ICU护患比.结果 两所医院应用TISS-28量表和NAS量表测量ICU的护理工作量比较,r=0.808,P＜0.001;r=0.925,P＜0.001,两种量表具有一定的相关性.其所测得两所医院的护患比比较,均P＞ 0.05,差异无统计学意义.结论 TISS-28量表和NAS量表内在一致性较好,具有简单、快速、有效的优势,可选择任何一种量表测量ICU护理工作量,为ICU护理人力资源的有效管理提供数据支持.     

Nursing workload in intensive care units: a study using the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28).

The Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) is an instrument that has been used to measure severity of illness and nursing workload in intensive care units (ICUs). OBJECTIVES: To characterize the severity of illness and nursing workload using the TISS-28 in 11 ICUs of a university hospital in the city of S?o Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: In a prospective study, data were collected from 271 patients admitted to the ICUs in December 2000 and the patients were followed up for 1 week. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Most of the patients were males (60.0%) and their mean age was 51(+20.6) years. Surgical treatment (66.8%) and admissions from the operating room were predominant. The mortality rate was 25.0% and the average length of stay was 7.7 (+10.4) days. The mean TISS-28 score was 23 (range: 14-32 points). The lowest mean score was observed for patients from the Burn ICU and the highest mean score was obtained for patients from the Liver Transplant ICU. A change in TISS-28 scores was observed in the same ICU over the 7-day study period. Units differed in terms of severity of illness and nursing workload. Patients who died received a higher TISS-28 score than patients who survived (p=0.00). As the nursing staff are the largest economic investment in an ICU, so measuring nursing workload in different ICUs from different centres can contribute to the estimation of nursing staff required according to the specific demands of the units.     

Nursing workload assessment in an intensive care unit: A retrospective observational study using the Nursing Activities Score

Background

Nursing Activities Score (NAS) is a promising tool for calculating the nursing workload in intensive care units (ICU). However, data on intensive care nursing activities in Portugal are practically non-existent.

Aim

To assess the nursing workload in a Portuguese ICU using the NAS.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study developed throughout the analysis of the electronic health record database from 56 adult patients admitted to a six-bed Portuguese ICU between 1 June–31 August 2020. The nursing workload was assessed by the Portuguese version of the NAS. The study was approved by the Hospital Council Board and Ethics Committee. The study report followed the STROBE guidelines.

Results

The average occupancy rate was 73.55% (±16.60%). The average nursing workload per participant was 67.52 (±10.91) points. There was a correlation between the occupancy rate and the nursing workload. In 35.78% of the days, the nursing workload was higher than the available human resources, overloading nurse staffing/team.

Conclusions

The nursing workload reported follows the trend of the international studies and the results reinforce the importance of adjusting the nursing staffing to the complexity of nursing care in this ICU. This study highlighted periods of nursing workload that could compromise patient safety.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

This was one of the first studies carried out with the NAS after its cross-cultural adaptation and validation for the Portuguese population. The nursing workload at the patient level was higher in the first 24 h of ICU stays. Because of the ‘administrative and management activities’ related to the ‘patient discharge procedures’, the last 24 h of ICU stays also presented high levels of nursing workload. The implementation of a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:1 may contribute to safer nurse staffing and to improve patient safety in this Tertiary (level 3) ICU.     

Measuring the nursing workload per shift in the ICU

Purpose

In the intensive care unit (ICU) different strategies and workload measurement tools exist to indicate the number of nurses needed. The gathered information is always focused on manpower needed per 24?h. However, a day consists of several shifts, which may be unequal in nursing workload. The aim of this study was to evaluate if differences in nursing workload between consecutive shifts can be identified by a nursing workload measurement tool.

Methods

The nursing activities score (NAS) was registered per patient for every shift during a 4-week period in a prospective, observational research project in the surgical-pediatric ICU (SICU-PICU) and medical ICU (MICU) of an academic hospital.

Results

The NAS was influenced by the patient characteristics and the type of shift. Furthermore, the scores were lower during night shifts, in weekends and in MICU patients. Overall, the mean NAS per nurse per shift was 85.5?%, and the NAS per 24?h was 54.7?%.

Conclusion

This study has shown that the nursing workload can be measured per working shift. In the ICU, the NAS differentiates the nursing workload between shifts, patients and units.     

Validation of the simplified therapeutic intervention scoring system on an independent database

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System on an independent database and determine its relation with the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System in the quantification of nursing workload in intensive care. Design: Analysis of the database of a multicenter prospective Portuguese study. Setting: 19 intensive care units (ICUs) in Portugal. Patients: Data on 1094 patients consecutively admitted to the ICUs were collected during a period of 3 months. Methods: Collection of the data necessary for the calculation of the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-76) and the Simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) during the first 24 h in the ICU. Basic demographic statistics and all the variables necessary for the computation of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II were also collected. Vital status at discharge from the hospital was registered. Regression techniques, Pearson's correlation and paired sample t-test were used. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation except when stated otherwise. Reliability was evaluated by the use of intraclass correlation coefficients in a 5 % random sample. Measurements and results: After exclusion of all the patients with missing data, 1080 patients were analysed. The overall mean TISS-28 (29.82 ± 10.64) was significantly lower than the mean TISS-76 (31.14 ± 11.95). Both systems showed very significant differences between ICUs (p < 0.001). The correlation between the two was good, with TISS-28 explaining 72 % of the variation of TISS-76 (r = 0.85, r ² = 0.72). The relation between the two systems was TISS-28 = 6.22 + 0.85 TISS-76. In this cohort, reliability of data collection was very high, with intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.90 for both systems. Conclusions: TISS-28 was validated on this independent population. The results indicate that TISS-28 can replace TISS-76 for the measurement of the nursing workload in Portuguese ICUs Received: 29 October 1996 Accepted: 27 February 1997     

治疗干预评分系统在重症监护室护理人力资源配置中的应用

目的探讨治疗干预评分系统(therapeutic intervention scoring system-28,TISS-28)在重症监护室(intensive care unit,ICU)护理人力资源配置中的应用效果。方法 2011年4-5月,采用TISS-28对北京市某三级甲等医院神经外科、神经内科、胸血管外科、呼吸科、心脏科等5个ICU进行测评,每个月随机抽取1周(2个月共计14d)进行测评,共评估患者716例次合计1432个班次的护理工作量。结果 5个ICU工作总量由高到低依次为神经外科、神经内科、胸血管外科、心脏科、呼吸科,分别为(405.14±32.15)、(230.07±13.92)、(213.64±47.15)、(122.14±12.23)、(153.00±35.60)分;平均每班护士工作量由高到低依次为神经外科、呼吸科、胸血管外科、心脏科、神经内科,分别为(62.96±9.22)、(48.86±4.89)、(46.62±9.38)、(44.64±8.81)、(38.35±2.32)分。神经外科ICU护士缺编较为严重。结论部分ICU护士处于超负荷工作状态;护理管理者应合理有效地配置各ICU护理人力资源,以确保护理工作质量。     

Validation of “nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score” on an independent data sample

Objective: To compare the recently developed “nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score” (NEMS) with the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28). Design: Prospective single centre study. Setting: Adult 30-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary care university hospital. Patients: Data from all patients admitted in 1997 to the ICU were included in the study. Methods and results: NEMS and TISS-28 items were recorded prospectively for each nursing shift. There were three shifts per day. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II was calculated for the first 24 h of ICU stay and each patient's basic demographic data were collected. The agreement between NEMS and TISS-28 was assessed by calculating the mean difference and the standard deviation of the differences between the two measures. Further, regression techniques and Pearson's correlation were used. Altogether, 2743 patients with a total of 28'220 nursing shifts were included; 62 % of the shifts were used for postoperative/trauma patients and 38 % for medical patients. Mean NEMS was 26.0 ± 8.1 and mean TISS-28 was 26.5 ± 7.9. The scores differed by K 3 points in 49 % of all shifts. The bias was −0.5 ± 5.3 (95 % confidence interval −0.47 to −0.60) and the limits of agreement were −11.1 to +10.1. The relation between the two systems was NEMS = 4.7 ± 0.8 · TISS-28 (r = 0.78, r ² = 0.62, p < 0.001). Including postoperative/trauma patients only: NEMS = 1.9 + 0.9 · TISS-28, for medical patients this equation was: NEMS = 6.0 + 0.8 · TISS-28. First-day SAPS II explained 11 % of the variability in first-shift NEMS and 5 % of the variability in first-shift TISS-28. Conclusions: This study confirms a good agreement between TISS-28 and NEMS in a large, independent sample. However, as shown by the differences between medical and postoperative/trauma patients, a change in case mix may result in different regression equations. Further, wide limits of agreement indicate that there may be a rather large variability between the two measures at the individual level. Received: 9 October 1998 Accepted: 16 March 1999     

应用护理活动评估量表对ICU护理工作量的调查与分析

目的应用护理活动评估量表(NAS)评价ICU护理工作量,分析ICU护理工作量特征,为护理管理者合理配置人力资源提供依据。方法翻译英文版NAS,评价其信度、效度及文化相关性。2006年1～4月,对所有入住中国医科大学附属第一医院ICU的病人,应用NAS评价护理工作量。结果该院ICU病人因入住ICU时间不同、转归不同,其护理工作量也不同,并与疾病种类无关。结论中文版护理工作量评估表是一种具有较高信度和效度的ICU专用护理工作量评估量表,可以为护理管理者提供可靠的理论依据和数据支持。     

Nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score (NEMS)

Objectives: To develop a simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) based on the TISS-28 items and to validate the new score in an independent database. Design: Retrospective statistical analysis of a database and a prospective multicentre study. Setting: Development in the database of the Foundation for Research on Intensive Care in Europe with external validation in 64 intensive care units (ICUs) of 11 European countries. Measurements and results: Development of NEMS on a random sample of TISS-28 items, cross validation on another random sample of TISS-28, and external validation of NEMS in comparison with TISS-28 scored by two independent raters on the day of the visit to the ICUs participating in an international study. Multivariable regression techniques, Pearson's correlation, and paired sample t-tests were used (significance at p < 0.05 level). Intraclass correlation, rate of agreement, and kappa statistics were used for interrater reliability tests. The TISS-28 items were reduced to NEMS (9 items) in a random sample of 2000 records; the means of the two scores were no different: TISS-28 26.23 ± 10.38, NEMS 26.19 ± 9.12, NS. Cross-validation in a random sample of 996 records; mean TISS-28 26.13 ± 10.38, NEMS 26.17 ± 9.38, NS; R ² = 0.76. External validation on 369 pairs of TISS-28 and NEMS has shown that the means of the two scores were no different: TISS-28 27.56 ± 11.03, NEMS 27.02 ± 8.98, NS; R ² = 0.59. Reliability tests have shown an “almost perfect” interrater correlation. Similar to studies correlating TISS with Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS)-I and/or Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores, the value of NEMS scored on the first day accounts for 30.4 % of the variation of SAPS-II score. Conclusions: NEMS is a suitable therapeutic index to measure nursing workload at the ICU level. The use of NEMS is indicated for: (a) multicentre ICU studies; (b) management purposes in the general (macro) evaluation and comparison of workload at the ICU level; (c) the prediction of workload and planning of nursing staff allocation at the individual patient level.     

Analysis of resource use and cost-generating factors in a German medical intensive care unit employing the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28)

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of resource use and costs of a medical intensive care unit (ICU) utilising the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28). DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING:: Medical ICU of a tertiary care centre. PATIENTS: Consecutive patients with an ICU length of stay (LOS) more than 24 h. INTERVENTIONS: Over a 3 month period SAPS II, TISS-28 and SOFA were determined daily. Patients were retrospectively classified as receiving active (AT) or non-active (NAT) treatment according to TISS-28 variables, with AT representing a therapeutic intervention that could not be performed outside the ICU. Individual expenditure for all patients was calculated using a modified 'top-down' method. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Out of 303 consecutive patients, 241 (79.5%), including all non-survivors, were categorised AT. The hospital mortality was 14.5%. TISS-28 and ICU LOS were higher in patients receiving AT ( p<0.001). Patient-specific costs accounted for 36 EUR per TISS-point and daily treatment costs 1336 EUR for all patients. Daily costs of care were 68 EUR higher for AT, compared to NAT, patients ( p<0.001). There was no association between ICU costs and measures of severity of illness (SAPS II, SOFA). CONCLUSIONS: TISS-28 is a fast, reliable and readily applicable tool to identify patients receiving AT. Although total and daily costs of care were significantly higher in patients receiving AT, the difference of the daily costs was, albeit statistically significant, economically negligible. The main difference in ICU costs was attributable to ICU LOS. Therefore cost-saving strategies must aim at reducing ICU LOS, without compromising quality of care.     

Risk factors for prolonged stay in cardiac surgery intensive care units

Aims and objectives: To identify the factors that might affect the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU‐LOS) among cardiac surgery patients. Background: ICU‐LOS forms an important factor for assessing the effectiveness of the provided nursing care. A number of factors can be accused for increasing patient hospitalization. The nursing workload (NWL), among others, was found to play a significant role as it is closely associated with the quality of care. Design: An observational cohort study among 313 consecutive patients who were admitted to the cardiac surgery intensive care unit of a general, tertiary hospital of Athens, Greece from November 2008 to November 2009. Methods: Data collection was performed by using a short questionnaire (for basic demographic information) and two instruments, the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) and the logistic EuroSCORE, for assessing the NWL and the perioperative risk for each patient respectively. Results: ICU‐LOS of more than 2 days increased with age and was more common among females (p < 0·001 and p = 0·02, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between increased perioperative risk and the increased ICU‐LOS [odd ratio (OR) 1·9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·0–3·5, p = 0·04], while patients with a first day NAS of more than 61·6% had an almost 5·2 times greater probability to stay in the cardiac surgery unit for more than 2 days (OR 5·2, 95% CI 3·0–8·8, p < 0·001). Conclusions: Increased level of NWL and patient perioperative risk are closely associated with increased ICU‐LOS. Relevance to clinical practice: The correlation between patient perioperative risk and ICU‐LOS encourages the early identification of high‐risk patients for prolonged hospitalization. Furthermore, the relationship between NWL and ICU‐LOS allows the early identification of these patients with the use of an independent nursing tool.     

Retrospective evaluation of the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) in a surgical intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: To compare the simplified Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS-28) with its original version, to provide reference values of daily TISS-28 assessment and to describe its association with severity of illness in surgical patients. DESIGN: Retrospective evaluation of prospectively collected audit data; four documentation periods. Setting: Ten-bed intensive care unit (ICU) in a surgical university hospital. PATIENTS: One thousand nine hundred eighty-six consecutive admissions (1,808 patients; 10,448 observation days) who stayed on ICU for at least 6 h. Patients were in hospital for abdominal, vascular or trauma surgery. The average age was 61.5 years, the mean APACHE II score on admission 10.3 points. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS: Raw data for APACHE II score and TISS were recorded daily. TISS-28 was calculated retrospectively from the original TISS data. RESULTS: Average TISS-28 values (28.7 points; SD = 9.7) do not differ substantially from the original TISS values (28.2 points, SD = 10.9) and overall correlation is high (r = 0.935). Of the patients, 57.3 % left the ICU after 1-2 days as survivors with a mean daily TISS-28 of 20.0 points. Variability between documentation periods was higher with the original TISS. On average, patients with increasing severity of disease require an increasing amount of care. Survivors have lower TISS-28 values than non-survivors (27.6 vs 34.9). CONCLUSIONS: In a surgical ICU the simplified version of TISS with 28 items (TISS-28) sufficiently reflects the amount of intensive care provided and may provide useful additional information on severity of disease and prognosis. It should replace the original index, at least in these cases.     

TISS-28 in difficult to wean patients after long-term mechanical ventilation

PURPOSE: To compare the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System (TISS) 28 in difficult to wean patients before and after transfer to a weaning center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using TISS-28, the authors investigated the difference between regular intensive care units (ICUs) and the respiratory ICU (RICU) of their hospital in difficult to wean patients after long-term mechanical ventilation (MV). Special emphasis was placed on the appropriateness of TISS-28 to cover the specific weaning activities. 63 tracheotomized patients ventilated for more than 14 days were included. RESULTS: In total, 15.9% of patients were not weaned, 20.6% of population was successfully weaned with noninvasive ventilation (NIV), and 63.5% of patients was successfully weaned without NIV. The transfer of patients from other ICUs to a weaning facility resulted in a significant reduction of total TISS-28 from 29.5 to 23.8 points (p<0.001) on average. CONCLUSION: The high weaning success rate in a specialized facility is associated with a significant reduction of TISS-28 scores. The use of TISS-28 in a weaning center for patients with prolonged MV to measure workload does not adequately mirror the efforts by physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and other health-care personnel.     

Valoración de la carga de trabajo de Enfermería en pacientes sometidos a hipotermia terapéutica

ObjectiveTherapeutic hypothermia (TH) is recommended to minimize neurological damage in patients surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). There is scarcity of data evaluating the nursing workload in these patients. The objective of the study is to assess the workload of nurses whilst treating patients undergoing TH after SCA.MethodA 43-month prospective-retrospective comparative cohort study was designed. Patients admitted to intensive care unit, for recovered SCA and persistent coma, were included. A comparison was made using the baseline characteristics, medical management, in-hospital mortality, and nursing workload during the first 96 hours using the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28); Nursing Activities Score (NAS); and Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower Use Score (NEMS) scales among patients who received TH and those who did not.ResultsA total 46 patients were included: 26 in the TH group and 20 in the Non-TH group. Regarding baseline characteristics and management, the TH group presented higher prevalence of smoking habit (69 vs. 25%, p = 0.012), out-of-hospital SCA (96 vs. 55%, p < 0.001), and the performance of coronary angiography (96 vs. 65%, p = 0.014) compared with the non-TH group. No differences were observed in the nursing workload, assessed by TISS 28, NAS or NEMS scales, or in-hospital mortality.ConclusionsIn this study performance of TH in SCA survivors is not associated with an increase in nursing workload. The installation of a TH program does not require the use of more nursing resources in terms of workload.     

Nursing workload and patient-focused outcomes in intensive care: A systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the association of nursing workload on patient outcomes in intensive care units. The primary outcome measure was patient mortality, with adverse events (AE), the secondary outcome measures. Electronic search of databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane, EMCARE, Scopus, and Web of Science were performed. Studies were excluded if they were in non-ICU settings, pediatric, neonatal populations, or if the abstract/full text was unavailable. Risk of bias was assessed by the ROBINS-I tool. After screening 4129 articles, 32 studies were identified as meeting inclusion criteria. The majority of included studies were assessed as having a moderate risk of bias. The nursing activities score (NAS) was the most frequently used tool to assess nursing workload. Our systematic review identified that higher nursing workload was associated with patient-focused outcomes, including increased mortality and AE in the intensive care setting. The varied approaches of measuring and reporting nursing workload make it difficult to translate the findings of the impact of nursing workload on patient outcomes in intensive care settings.     

Patient severity as an indicator of nursing workload in the intensive care unit

The importance of measuring nursing workload in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been supported by both an increasing demand for nursing personnel and the relationship of nursing workload with patient safety. According to previous studies, the correlation between clinical severity of ICU patients and nursing workload measured by Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System has been estimated to be particularly high. The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical severity of ICU patients can be used for the prediction of nursing workload on a daily basis. All patients admitted in the ICU of the General University Hospital of Patras for a 5-month period were enrolled in the study. Projet de Recherche en Nursing (PRN) Réa and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II scores of patients were calculated, the first on a daily basis and the second on the day of admission. Simple linear regression was used for statistical analysis of data. One hundred thirty-eight patients were studied. A progressive increase in mean daily PRN Réa of patients all along the amplitude of APACHE II values was shown. APACHE II could predict 25.6% (p < 0.01) of the daily variability of PRN Réa of patients. Regarding categories of PRN Réa, respiration, communication, diagnostic methods and treatments were significantly predicted by APACHE II. APACHE II explained higher proportions of PRN Réa in medical male patients aged >60 years. Clinical severity of the ICU patients measured by APACHE II is an important early indicator of daily nursing workload, especially of care demands associated with respiration, diagnostic methods and treatments.