Using a Computerized Information System to Examine the Relationship Between Unit Patient Acuity and Nurse Staffing: A Pilot Study

Nurse staffing is one of the most costly components of hospital operations, yet there is strong evidence supporting a positive relationship between nurse staffing and patient outcomes. Consequently, a tension exists between cost and quality with respect to nurse staffing in acute care settings. Traditionally, inpatient nurse managers have examined historical trends in nurse workloads to guide future staffing patterns. Increasingly, nurse managers use computerized information systems that calculate patient and acuity scores to make shift-to-shift nurse staffing decisions that more accurately reflect patients’ needs for nursing care and facilitate equitable patient assignments to nurses. This study was conducted to a) determine the feasibility of obtaining and analyzing unit acuity and nurse staffing data from a CIS; b) describe the patterns of unit acuity and nurse staffing; and c) examine the relationships between unit acuity and nurse staffing.

Credit Hours
1.0 contact hour/1.0 continuing education hour

Requirements for Successful Completion
In order to receive contact hours for ANIA webinar sessions, participants must observe the following: Attend 90% of each session attended where you are claiming contact hours, complete an online evaluation, and submit.

Accreditation Statement:
This educational activity is jointly provided by Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. (AJJ) and ANIA.

Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Anthony J. Jannetti, Inc. is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider number CEP 5387.

Speaker Disclosures
The speaker and planning committee members reported no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to this continuing nursing education activity.

Learning Outcome
After completing this learning activity the learner will be able to discuss the feasibility of obtaining and analyzing unit acuity and nurse staffing data from a computerized information system, the patterns of unit patient acuity and nurse staffing, and the relationship between unit acuity and nurse staffing at the healthcare institution where the pilot study took place.