Biomaterial Database

Weighted staffing plans for better prediction of staffing needs. 2013

Shirley J Tierney, and Paulette Seymour-Route, and Sybil Crawford

Department of Medicine, Medical School, University of Massachusetts, Worcester 01655, USA.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine the effect of patient turnover and acuity on worked hours per patient day (WHPPD). BACKGROUND An examination of staffing plans publically posted by Massachusetts hospitals with more than 300 beds revealed that less than 40% were within 5% of their planned versus actual WHPPD. METHODS Three years of WHPPD data collected from 14 adult acute care units were correlated with patient turnover and acuity data. A weight factor was retrospectively added to 8 paired units' planned WHPPD where correlations were identified. RESULTS Twelve units (86%) showed significant correlations between WHPPD and patient turnover. Correlations between patient acuity and WHPPD were significant only at the aggregate level. After weighting WHPPD, the 8 paired units demonstrated a decreased variance between planned and actual WHPPD. CONCLUSIONS Using a weight factor added to WHPPD to right size acute care medical-surgical units may be useful for accurate staff planning and budgeting.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008404	Massachusetts	State bounded on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, and on the west by New York.
D009718	Nurse Administrators	Nurses professionally qualified in administration.	Nurse Executives,Nurse Managers,Administrator, Nurse,Administrators, Nurse,Executive, Nurse,Executives, Nurse,Manager, Nurse,Managers, Nurse,Nurse Administrator,Nurse Executive,Nurse Manager
D009741	Nursing Staff, Hospital	Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in a hospital.	Hospital Nursing Staff,Hospital Nursing Staffs,Nursing Staffs, Hospital,Staff, Hospital Nursing,Staffs, Hospital Nursing
D010351	Patient Discharge	The administrative process of discharging the patient, alive or dead, from hospitals or other health facilities.	Discharge Planning,Discharge Plannings,Discharge, Patient,Discharges, Patient,Patient Discharges,Planning, Discharge,Plannings, Discharge
D010561	Personnel Staffing and Scheduling	The selection, appointing, and scheduling of personnel.	Staffing and Scheduling,Personnel Staffing,Work Schedule,Schedule, Work,Scheduling and Staffing,Staffing, Personnel,Work Schedules
D003953	Diagnosis-Related Groups	A system for classifying patient care by relating common characteristics such as diagnosis, treatment, and age to an expected consumption of hospital resources and length of stay. Its purpose is to provide a framework for specifying case mix and to reduce hospital costs and reimbursements and it forms the cornerstone of the prospective payment system.	Case Mix,DRG,Diagnosis Related Group,Diagnosis-Related Group,Case Mixes,DRGs,Diagnostic-Related Group,Group, Diagnostic-Related,Groups, Diagnostic-Related,Diagnosis Related Groups,Diagnostic Related Group,Diagnostic-Related Groups,Group, Diagnosis Related,Group, Diagnosis-Related,Group, Diagnostic Related,Groups, Diagnosis Related,Groups, Diagnosis-Related,Groups, Diagnostic Related,Related Group, Diagnosis,Related Groups, Diagnosis
D006742	Hospital Bed Capacity	The number of beds which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use.	Bed Capacity, Hospital,Bed Size, Hospital,Bed Capacities, Hospital,Bed Size,Bed Sizes,Bed Sizes, Hospital,Capacities, Hospital Bed,Capacity, Hospital Bed,Hospital Bed Size,Hospital Bed Sizes,Size, Bed,Size, Hospital Bed,Sizes, Bed,Sizes, Hospital Bed,Hospital Bed Capacities
D006748	Hospital Departments	Major administrative divisions of the hospital.	Departments, Hospital,Department, Hospital,Hospital Department
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016526	Workload	The total amount of work to be performed by an individual, a department, or other group of workers in a period of time.	Employee Workload,Staff Workload,Employee Work Load,Staff Work Load,Work Load,Employee Work Loads,Employee Workloads,Staff Work Loads,Staff Workloads,Work Load, Employee,Work Load, Staff,Work Loads,Work Loads, Employee,Work Loads, Staff,Workload, Employee,Workload, Staff,Workloads,Workloads, Employee,Workloads, Staff