Determining nurse staffing needs: the workload intensity measurement system

hoi s.y., ismail n., ong l.c. & kang j. (2010) Journal of Nursing Management 18 , 44–53 Determining nurse staffing needs: the workload intensity measurement system
Objective  To develop a prototype nursing workload intensity measurement system (WIMS).
Background  Current nurse staffing was determined based on a development. The predetermined nurse-to-patient ratio of a measurement system in the present work environment was deemed essential.
Methods  The study was conducted in a 1500-bed acute care hospital in Singapore. A questionnaire was designed to identify critical indicators for workload measurement. Nineteen wards were observed over a period of 1 week on day shifts. The WIMS was developed using regression modelling.
Results  Nursing time required for a low-acuity ward increased from 90.5 to 177.1 hours per day. The WIMS was developed using nursing diagnoses as critical indicators of workload. The model (WIMS) yield R ² values ranging from 0.615 to 0.736 across the six key disciplines, rendering it a model with relatively good predictive ability of nursing time required.
Conclusion  In such a rapidly changing work environment, workload measurement systems should be reviewed periodically. The WIMS was developed as a potential methodology for measuring staffing needs.
Implication for Nursing Management  Workload predictions should de-link patient dependency with acuity status as both do not correlate, as evidenced by this study.