So, what’s all the buzz about evidenced-based nurse staffing? Simply staffing to patient ratios is straight-forward and ensures proper staffing for patient safety…. Right?
Not so fast. Are all medical appointments set for the same duration regardless of service and patient status? Does a restaurant server need to devote more effort to a two-top or party of ten? Does every incoming phone call require the same amount of time to answer? Quantity or volume is not always a reliable predictor of workload or equity.
Evidence-Based Staffing vs. Ratio-Based Staffing
Mandated nursing staff-to-patient ratios are a heavy-handed and sometimes misguided response to ensuring safe nurse staffing. Most facilities know that safe and proper staffing is less expensive than adverse patient outcomes and high nursing turnover but struggle to determine proper and safe staffing levels. Facilities continue to struggle with increased demand for healthcare services, improving patient outcomes and nursing staff turnover and burnout. That’s where evidenced-based staffing comes back in.
The Value of Evidenced-Based Nursing Staffing
Evidenced-based staffing is a proven way to determine needed nurse staffing through quantitative measurement of patient workload, not patient numbers or staffing ratios. Evidenced-based models use research to determine and validate workload measurement models. The models are typically developed and tested by clinicians in clinical environments insuring validity and transportability.
Reliably measuring patient workload ensures the right number of nurses to promote patient safety. Accurate workload measurement can also lead to equitable assignments thus making patients safer and nurses happier.
Evidenced-Based Staffing Empowers Nurses and Improves Outcomes
So evidenced-based nurse staffing isn’t just buzzwords–it’s a powerful tool that empowers healthcare professionals to make informed decisions to improve patient safety, nursing workforce health and financial outcomes.
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Blog by: Ken Colbert, Senior Research Analyst
