Week 10; staffing - nursing care delivery Flashcards
What is the process of determining and providing the acceptable number and mix of nursing personnel to produce a desired level ofcare to meet the patients’ demands?
staffing
What are 4 ways managers determine staffing?
- Pt. census
- How many RN’s to patient ratio
- Budget
- Expertise of the unit RN’s/pcts
What are factors to consider with staffing needs?
Self scheduling/overtime
Shift options that are feasible
Appropriate staff to patient ratio
Staffing labor laws of state or national laws/unions
Patient needs/Acuity-based staffing tools
Plans in place for nurses that call in or acuity increases on unit
Resources with in the facility for nurses
Admissions/Transfers/Discharges
Professional Nurse skill level & expertise
What is the history of staffing?
- nursing shortage
2. quality
Why is scheduling so difficult in nursing?
It does not fit traditional business cycle
There is an erratic and unpredictable health-care demand
High-level expertise is required 24/7
Stress of job requires balanced work–recreation schedule
Staffing mix varies with acuity
What are the strengths to decentralized staffing?
- manager retains greater control over unit staffing
- staff are able to take requests directly to their manager
- Provides greater autonomy and flexibility for individual staff member
What are strengths to centralized staffing?
- provides organization-wide view of staffing needs, which encourages optimal utilization of staffing resources.
- staffing policies tend to be employed more consistently and impartially
- more cost-effective than decentralized staffing
- frees the middle-level manager to complete other management functions
What are limitations to decentralized staffing?
- can result in more special pleading and arbitrary treatment of employees
- may not be cost-effective for organization since staffing needs are not viewed holistically
- more time consuming for the unit manager
What are limitations to centralized staffing?
- provides less flexibility for the worker and may not account for a specific worker’s desires or special needs
- managers may be less responsive to personnel budget control in scheduling and staffing matters
How many hours do nurses work typically?
10 or 12 hour
What kind of pay do nurses get with weekend work?
premium pay
What kind of pool do nurses get for weekend shifts and holidays?
Part-time staffing pool
What is job sharing in nursing?
two or more people
What is flextime in nursing?
employees to select the time schedules that fits their personal needs but able to meet employers responsibilities.
What do hospitals often use for nurses?
Use of supplemental staffing from outside registries(traveler/agency) and float pools
True or false: staff self-scheduling and on call are options in nursing
true
what is shift bidding?
allows nurses to bid for shifts rather than requiring mandatory overtime
What are the 3 types of staffing ratios?
- Staffing mix
- Staffing ratios
- Numbers of staff
As Patient Acuity increases Nurse Ratios seem to do what?
stay the same or increase!
How old is most of the workforce?
50 years old and about to retire
What do you ned to be willing to do in nurses?
serve others
What happens often in nursing that makes it difficult emotionally?
we are spread so thin and stressed out at times
What does nursing promise?
job security
true or false; nursing is not rewarding
false; it is
Are there downfalls to nursing?
yes
What do staff members on a unit make a commitment to?
to cover all absences and fill all needs with own staff
In covering all absences, what happens in return?
in return for not being pulled from the unit in times of low census
What is the workload measurement tool?
Formula in use where all nursing and ancillary staff are treated equally fordetermining hours of nursing care
How is the workload measurement tool different?
No differentiation is made for differing acuity levels of patients
What is the formula for the workload measurement tool?
NCH/PPD = Nursing Care Hours worked in 24 Hours /Per Patient Day (Census)
What does each hospital/unit have?
Patient Classification Systems
What two things are measured in patient classification systems?
acuity vs. workload
What is under patient classification systems?
Eating Grooming Elimination ( Foley, Urinal, Condom cath) Comfort (q 2 hour turning), Specialized beds General Health Treatments Medications Teaching and emotional support
How many categories are under patient classification systems?
1-4
What is category 1 of pcs?
Feed self
What is category 2 of pcs?
Needs some help in preparing food tray
What is category 3 of pcs?
Cannot feed self but is able to chew and swallow
What is category 4 of pcs?
Cannot feed self and may have difficulty swallowing
What do diverse staff meet?
Meet cultural needs of the unit
What do diverse staff has as far as linguistics?
Different languages to meet patient population on unit
What must diverse staff provide nationally?
Nationally you must provide language assistance services to all patients Standard 5
What is under the umbrella of diverse staff with language assistance?
Interpreter phones/Interpreters
Decisions made in a hospital must meet what?
must meet state and federal labor laws and organizational policies