A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units
Abstract Background Approaches to nurse staffing are commonly concerned with determining the minimum number of care hours according to the illness severity of patients. However, there is a gap in the literature considering multi-skill and multi-shift nurse staffing. This study addresses nurse staffi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12911-018-0638-2 |
| _version_ | 1819147051906105344 |
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| author | Ana Respicio Margarida Moz Margarida Vaz Pato Rute Somensi Cecília Dias Flores |
| author_facet | Ana Respicio Margarida Moz Margarida Vaz Pato Rute Somensi Cecília Dias Flores |
| author_sort | Ana Respicio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Approaches to nurse staffing are commonly concerned with determining the minimum number of care hours according to the illness severity of patients. However, there is a gap in the literature considering multi-skill and multi-shift nurse staffing. This study addresses nurse staffing per skill category, at a strategical decision level, by considering the organization of work in shifts and coping with variability in demand. Methods We developed a method to determine the nursing staff levels in a hospital, given the required patient assistance. This method relies on a new mathematical model for complying with the legislation and guidelines while minimizing salary costs. A spreadsheet-based tool was developed to embed the model and to allow simulating different scenarios and evaluating the impact of demand fluctuations, thus supporting decision-making on staff dimensioning. Results Experiments were carried out considering real data from a Brazilian hospital unit. The results obtained by the model support the current total staff level in the unit under study. However, the distribution of staff among different skill categories revealed that the current real situation can be improved. Conclusions The method allows the determining of staff level per shift and skill depending on the mix of patients’ illness severity. Hospital management is offered the possibility of optimizing the staff level using a spreadsheet, a tool most managers are familiar with. In addition, it is possible to evaluate the implications of decisions on workforce dimensioning by simulating different demand scenarios. This tool can be easily adapted to other hospitals, using local rules and legislation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:23:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eb209317fee64ff28dd1161752192100 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6947 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T13:23:41Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-eb209317fee64ff28dd11617521921002022-12-21T18:24:24ZengBMCBMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making1472-69472018-06-011811910.1186/s12911-018-0638-2A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital unitsAna Respicio0Margarida Moz1Margarida Vaz Pato2Rute Somensi3Cecília Dias Flores4CMAF-CIO, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de LisboaISEG and CMAF-CIO, Universidade de LisboaISEG and CMAF-CIO, Universidade de LisboaPavilhão Pereira Filho, Santa Casa de Misericórdia Porto Alegre and Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Hospital São JoséUniversidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto AlegreAbstract Background Approaches to nurse staffing are commonly concerned with determining the minimum number of care hours according to the illness severity of patients. However, there is a gap in the literature considering multi-skill and multi-shift nurse staffing. This study addresses nurse staffing per skill category, at a strategical decision level, by considering the organization of work in shifts and coping with variability in demand. Methods We developed a method to determine the nursing staff levels in a hospital, given the required patient assistance. This method relies on a new mathematical model for complying with the legislation and guidelines while minimizing salary costs. A spreadsheet-based tool was developed to embed the model and to allow simulating different scenarios and evaluating the impact of demand fluctuations, thus supporting decision-making on staff dimensioning. Results Experiments were carried out considering real data from a Brazilian hospital unit. The results obtained by the model support the current total staff level in the unit under study. However, the distribution of staff among different skill categories revealed that the current real situation can be improved. Conclusions The method allows the determining of staff level per shift and skill depending on the mix of patients’ illness severity. Hospital management is offered the possibility of optimizing the staff level using a spreadsheet, a tool most managers are familiar with. In addition, it is possible to evaluate the implications of decisions on workforce dimensioning by simulating different demand scenarios. This tool can be easily adapted to other hospitals, using local rules and legislation.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12911-018-0638-2Nurse staffingMulti-skill staffingShift workSpreadsheet staffing modelDecision support |
| spellingShingle | Ana Respicio Margarida Moz Margarida Vaz Pato Rute Somensi Cecília Dias Flores A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making Nurse staffing Multi-skill staffing Shift work Spreadsheet staffing model Decision support |
| title | A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| title_full | A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| title_fullStr | A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| title_full_unstemmed | A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| title_short | A computational application for multi-skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| title_sort | computational application for multi skill nurse staffing in hospital units |
| topic | Nurse staffing Multi-skill staffing Shift work Spreadsheet staffing model Decision support |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12911-018-0638-2 |
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