Development of a Staffing Activity Tool That Works

Abstract

To showcase an easy-to-use and objective staffing tool specific to perinatal departments based on the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) staffing guidelines. To change from the current method of subjective decision making by using patient acuity to determine staffing numbers to an alternative electronic tool based on experience and knowledge of the charge nurses that can be utilized by anyone. The tool was tested in all of our perinatal units with great success and increased accuracy. The tool assists nurses in staffing decisions, such as flexing up or down, based on the number and acuity of patients. This tool and the date collected were presented to the executive team and resulted in the allocation of additional resources. There is no widely accepted staffing tool for perinatal units based on the AWHONN guidelines. This new and innovative tool could be widely used across the country to ensure adequate staffing for the number and types of patients seen in the perinatal units.