Staffing
Define Acuity Level
Categorize patients according to specific criteria and care needs and thus help quantify the amount and level of care needed, referred to as the acuity level
True
Define functional nursing?
Staff are assigned to complete certain tasks for a group of patients
Define team nursing?
RNs are team leaders who coordinate small groups of APs to provide care
How long is a typical primary nursing assignment?
24 hr
What is one thing to consider when assigning a patient to a staff member?
•Staff member’s education level
•Competencies
•Experience
•Skill
•Training
Where is this method commonly found?
ICU/ PACU
Name one advantage.
•Patient care is economical and efficient
• A minimum number of RNs are required
•Tasks completed quickly, and little confusion about responsibility
•High quality, safe, and effective care can be provided with a high proportion of support staff
•Each team member participates in decision-making and contributes their own expertise
Where might you see this model?
•Home health, hospice, oncology, and long-term care settings
What leads to better quality of care and more effective care?
Nurse Satisfaction
Define Total Patient Care?
•Responsibility heavily relies on nurse
•Planning, organizing, and performing all care
•Hygiene, medications, treatments, emotional support, education
Name a disadvantage
•Care is fragmented
•Possibility to overlook patient’s priorities since it is not your duty
•May be confusing to some staff
•Staff may feel unchallenged or unmotivated when performing repetitive functions
Disadvantage?
•Continuity of care may suffer if the daily team assignments vary
• The patient has many different caregivers
•Team leader may not have leadership skills
Insufficient time for care planning and communication
Define it
24-hour responsibility for planning, directing, and evaluating patient care
What year was the first staffing law passed? Hint it was in california
1999
Name one advantage?
•Holistic, unfragmented care by one nurse
•Easy hand-off reports
•High degree of nurse autonomy
Lines of responsibility and accountability are clear
•1-1 relationship between nurse and patient
•Nurses able to practice with a high degree of autonomy
What are the 3 things the organization considers when making staffing?
hint: (staffing and organization needs slide)
•Financial Resources
•Licensing Regulations
•Customer Satisfaction
Name one disadvantage?
•High number of RNs must be available
•Some tasks can be completed by lesser trained individuals
Disadvantage?
•Requires a high level of responsibility and autonomy, judgment, critical thinking, and communication
•24 hour responsibility
•Hard to recruit a number of nurses required