Abstract
The study aimed to look for available evidence in the literature regarding tools and methods used for determining nurse staffing levels. It is an integrative literature review whose data search was performed electronically between September and October 2013. The integrative review consisted of 13 articles that responded to the inclusion criteria proposed in the study. Several tools and methods were identified that determine staffing numbers, however, implementation of the calculated required workforce is not yet effective in the institutions surveyed.
Highlights
Determination of nursing personnel levels help nurses through administrative instruments whose content assists in management of the nursing unit and that aim to predict, from a quantitative and qualitative approach, the number of nursing staff required to meet patient care needs [1].An inadequate number of nurse staffing has the consequence of increasing the workload of these professionals, which may cause a rise in adverse events in patient care, such as the development of pressure ulcers, errors in medication administration and increasing hospital infections [2] [3].Research carried out to assess the adequacy of the number of professionals in a health unit reported that increased workload tends to amplify the number of distractions and interruptions at work
As in the previous study, the findings showed an insufficient number of nursing professionals
The presented studies enable establishment of the number of professionals based on health care needs
Summary
Determination of nursing personnel levels help nurses through administrative instruments whose content assists in management of the nursing unit and that aim to predict, from a quantitative and qualitative approach, the number of nursing staff required to meet patient care needs [1].An inadequate number of nurse staffing has the consequence of increasing the workload of these professionals, which may cause a rise in adverse events in patient care, such as the development of pressure ulcers, errors in medication administration and increasing hospital infections [2] [3].Research carried out to assess the adequacy of the number of professionals in a health unit reported that increased workload tends to amplify the number of distractions and interruptions at work. Determination of nursing personnel levels help nurses through administrative instruments whose content assists in management of the nursing unit and that aim to predict, from a quantitative and qualitative approach, the number of nursing staff required to meet patient care needs [1]. An inadequate number of nurse staffing has the consequence of increasing the workload of these professionals, which may cause a rise in adverse events in patient care, such as the development of pressure ulcers, errors in medication administration and increasing hospital infections [2] [3]. Research carried out to assess the adequacy of the number of professionals in a health unit reported that increased workload tends to amplify the number of distractions and interruptions at work.
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