ABSTRACT
Purpose@#: The aim of this study was to propose appropriate nurse staffing of adult intensive care units considering patients’ nursing care needs according to the Workload Management System for Critical Care Nurses (WMSCN). @*Methods@#: In a cross-sectional survey conducted in September 2017, 1,786 patients’ WMSCN scores, surveys from 2,145 nurses, and administrative data from 118 units in 41 hospitals were analyzed. The means (standard deviations) of the aforementioned scores and nursing hours per patient day were presented. Nurse-to-patient ratios and nurse-to bed ratios for staffing to meet patients’ nursing care needs were calculated. @*Results@#: The mean WMSCN scores were 109.50±17.17 in tertiary hospitals and 96.38±19.26 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day were 12.47±2.80 in tertiary hospitals and 11.01±2.45 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day correlated with WMSCN scores. Nurse-to-bed ratios required for the provision of ICU nursing care ranged from 1: 0.36 to 1: 0.48. @*Conclusion@#: Our findings provide evidence that current ICU nurse staffing is insufficient for meeting patients’ nursing care needs. We suggest adjusting the legal standards for adequate nurse staffing considering these needs.
ABSTRACT
Purpose@#: The aim of this study was to propose appropriate nurse staffing of adult intensive care units considering patients’ nursing care needs according to the Workload Management System for Critical Care Nurses (WMSCN). @*Methods@#: In a cross-sectional survey conducted in September 2017, 1,786 patients’ WMSCN scores, surveys from 2,145 nurses, and administrative data from 118 units in 41 hospitals were analyzed. The means (standard deviations) of the aforementioned scores and nursing hours per patient day were presented. Nurse-to-patient ratios and nurse-to bed ratios for staffing to meet patients’ nursing care needs were calculated. @*Results@#: The mean WMSCN scores were 109.50±17.17 in tertiary hospitals and 96.38±19.26 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day were 12.47±2.80 in tertiary hospitals and 11.01±2.45 in general hospitals. Nursing hours per patient day correlated with WMSCN scores. Nurse-to-bed ratios required for the provision of ICU nursing care ranged from 1: 0.36 to 1: 0.48. @*Conclusion@#: Our findings provide evidence that current ICU nurse staffing is insufficient for meeting patients’ nursing care needs. We suggest adjusting the legal standards for adequate nurse staffing considering these needs.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure person-centered critical care nursing and verify its reliability and validity. METHODS: A total of 38 preliminary items on person-centered critical care nursing were selected using content validity analysis of and expert opinion on 72 candidate items derived through literature review and qualitative interviews. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 477 nurses who worked in intensive care units. The collected data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmative factor analysis (CFA) with SPSS and AMOS 24.0 program. RESULTS: EFA was performed with principal axis factor analysis and Varimax rotation. The 15 items in 4 factors that accounted for 50.8% of the total variance were identified by deleting the items that were not meet the condition that the commonality should be .30 or more and the factor loading over .40. We named the factors as compassion, individuality, respect, and comfort, respectively. The correlation coefficient between this scale and the Caring Perception Scale was r=.57 (p < .001), which determined concurrent validity. The item-total correlation values ranged from .39 to .63, and the internal consistency for the scale was Cronbach's α=.84. CONCLUSION: The reliability and validity of the 15 item person-centered critical care nursing scale were verified. It is expected that the use of this scale would expand person-centered care in critical care nursing.