Association between patient classification systems and nurse staffing costs in intensive care units: An exploratory study

Abstract

ObjectivesNurse staffing costs represent approximately 60% of total intensive care unit costs. In order to analyse resource allocation in intensive care, we examined the association between nurse staffing costs and two patient classification systems: the nursing activities score (NAS) and nine equivalents of nursing manpower use score (NEMS). Research methodology/designA retrospective descriptive correlational analysis of nurse staffing costs and data of 6390 patients extracted from a data warehouse. SettingThree intensive care units in a university hospital and one in a regional hospital in Norway. Main outcome measuresNurse staffing costs, NAS and NEMS. ResultsFor merged data from all units, the NAS was more strongly correlated with monthly nurse staffing costs than was the NEMS. On separate analyses of each ICU, correlations were present for the NAS on basic costs and external overtime costs but were not significant. The annual mean nurse staffing cost for 1% of NAS was 20.9–23.1 euros in the units, which was comparable to 53.3–81.5 euros for 1 NEMS point. ConclusionA significant association was found between monthly costs, NAS, and NEMS. Cost of care should be based on individual patients’ nursing care needs. The NAS makes nurses’ workload visible and may be a helpful classification system in future planning and budgeting of intensive care resources.