Measuring the workload of community nurses in Ireland: a review of workload measurement systems

Changes in nurses' work: A comparative study during the waves of COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate how nurses caring for COVID and non-COVID patients assess changes in their work and in nursing activities during the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted for Estonian nurses working during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, using The impact of COVID-19 emergency on nursing care questionnaire. Based on convenience sampling, the data were collected among the members of professional organizations, unions and associations. Responses from the first (n = 162) and second wave (n = 284) were analysed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test and McNemar's test.

RESULTS

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the working context during both waves for nurses caring for COVID and non-COVID patients. Changes were considered to a greater extent during the second wave, when Estonia was severely affected, and by nurses caring for COVID patients. During the second wave, the number and complexity of patients increased, and nurses caring for COVID patients performed fundamental care, nursing techniques and symptom control significantly more frequently compared to nurses caring for non-COVID patients.

CONCLUSION

Taking care of COVID patients is demanding, requiring nurses to perform more direct patient care. However, the pandemic also increased the frequency of activities not related with direct patient care.

Die Personalsituation in der ambulanten Pflege

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: In Deutschland mehren sich Anzeichen eines Personalmangels in der ambulanten Pflege. Die Anzahl offener Stellen steigt und der Bedarf pflegebedürftiger Menschen kann nicht gedeckt werden. Es gibt nur wenige Ansätze zur Personalbemessung und -bedarfsplanung. Ziel: Das Ziel bestand in der Gewinnung von Erkenntnissen über die bestehende Praxis des Personaleinsatzes und der -bedarfsplanung in ambulanten Pflegediensten sowie der Prüfung von Möglichkeiten zur Entwicklung eines Personalbemessungsverfahrens. Methoden: Es wurden qualitative, leitfadengestützte Interviews mit Expert_innen ( N = 33), bestehend aus Vertreter_innen von Pflegedienstleitungen und Verbänden, Berater_innen von Pflegediensten und Expert_innen des Personalmanagements geführt und mittels Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Aus Sicht der Expert_innen können ambulante Dienste aufgrund der angespannten Personalsituation die Versorgung Pflegebedürftiger nicht mehr vollständig gewährleisten. Die Einsatzplanung, Rekrutierung und Bindung von Personal stellt eine zunehmende Herausforderung dar. Die Personalplanung erfolgt vor dem Hintergrund rahmenvertraglicher Vorgaben und Refinanzierungsbedingungen, weniger bedarfsgesteuert. Auch die Betriebsgröße ist von der Personalgewinnung und -fluktuation abhängig. Schlussfolgerung: Die Personalsituation in der ambulanten Pflege und die damit verbundene Sicherstellung der pflegerischen Versorgung wird auf absehbare Zeit eine Herausforderung bleiben. Ansätze, die über eine rein erlösorientierte Personalplanung hinausgehen, können dabei wichtige Impulse liefern.

Scope of Iranian community health nurses 'services from the viewpoint of the managers and nurses: a content analysis study

BACKGROUND

Considering the need for nurses specializing in community health and in order to define professional duties for future planning towards creating the position of community health nurses in the primary health care system of Iran, this study aims to explain the range of services which can be provided by community health nurses from the perspective of the mangers and nurses.

METHODS

The present qualitative study was conducted with the approach of contract content analysis in Iran in 2020. This study was conducted through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 22 participants, including community health nursing faculty members, health deputies and managers, community health nurses working in health centers, and the care seekers visiting comprehensive health centers. The samples were selected through purposeful sampling. The interviews continued until data saturation. Data analysis was performed simultaneously with data collection. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed through Graneheim & Lundman's content analysis method, and data management was done using MAXQDA software. To achieve data trustworthiness, the criteria presented by Lincoln and Guba were used.

RESULTS

The obtained data were classified into the two main categories of service provision settings and service provision domains. The category service provision settings covered 7 subcategories including participation in the family physician plan, activities at the centers for vulnerable groups of the community, establishing private community health clinics, leading health promotion programs in the 3rd generation hospitals, activities in comprehensive health centers, follow-ups and home visits, and activities in schools' health units. Service provision domains consisted of 6 subcategories including participation in health planning, decision-making, and policymaking, research on the health system, health promotion, monitoring and coordination, providing care for the patients with non-communicable diseases and high-risk groups, and eldercare.

CONCLUSIONS

From the participants' perspective, important services that can be provided by the community health nurse are health promotion, the management of chronic patients and the elderly, follow-ups, and home visits. Therefore, it is recommended that health policy makers pay attention to the service provision areas and the services providable by the community health nurse in their macro-planning, and to provide primary health care in comprehensive health centers using inter-professional care models, integrating the community health nurse into the care team.

Workforce issues in home- and community-based long-term care in Germany

The study addresses staffing and workforce issues for home- and community-based long-term care in Germany. It is based on a study aimed at developing staffing recommendations for home-care provider organisations. The study was commissioned within the regulation of the German long-term care act. Following an exploratory literature search on staffing issues in home- and community-based care qualitative interviews with 30 experts in home care were conducted. In addition, time needed for different interventions in homes of people in need of care (n = 129) was measured. Ethical approval for the study was obtained. The literature on the topic is limited. In Germany, no fixed staff-to-client ratio exists, but staffing is determined primarily by reimbursement policies, not by care recipients' needs. The results of the interviews indicated that staffing ratios are not the main concern of home-care providers. Experts stressed that general availability of staff with different qualification levels and the problems of existing regulation on services and their reimbursement are of higher concern. The measurement of time needed for selected interventions reveals the huge heterogeneity of home-care service delivery and the difficulty of using a task-based approach to determine staffing levels. Overall, the study shows that currently demand for home-care exceeds supply. Staff shortage puts a risk to home care in Germany. Existing approaches of reimbursement-driven determination of staffing levels have not been sufficient. A new balance between staffing, needs and reimbursement policies needs to be developed.

District nurses' experiences with a caseload profiling tool: a service evaluation

Caseload profiling is being advocated as a method to measure, manage and evidence increasingly complex caseloads in district nursing. However, there is no qualitative work on district nurses' experiences of applying caseload profiling to their caseloads. The aim of the service evaluation presented in this paper was to explore a working group's experiences of implementing a caseload-profiling tool to caseloads in district nursing in one community setting. As part of the service evaluation, three semi-structured interviews were conducted during meetings of the working group. Following data collection, thematic analysis supported the identification of three themes: barriers, facilitators and significance of data collected from caseload profiling. Subthemes were identified and compared with available literature and policy to enable new insights from practitioners to be gained. The service evaluation concluded that caseload profiling is a simple process that yields rich, complex data, with the data generated from the caseload profiles providing a method to evidence the complexity of district nursing caseloads and information to support proactive caseload management and identification of service delivery priorities.

CHANGING NURSING CARE TIME AS AN EFFECT OF CHANGED CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DIALYSIS POPULATION

BACKGROUND

The population of dialysis patients is ageing. Dialysis nurses are confronted with geriatric patients with multiple comorbidities. Nurses are confronted with an increasing burden of care.

OBJECTIVES

The present study focused on the question of whether, over time, the increasing age and comorbidities of the haemodialysis population increased nursing care time. Furthermore, we studied potential changes in the predictors of the required nursing time.

DESIGN

Observational study.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 980 dialysis patients from 12 dialysis centres were included.

MEASUREMENTS

Nurses filled out the classification tool for each patient and completed a form for reporting patient characteristics for groups of relevant haemodialysis patients at baseline and after 1 and four years. Changes in patient and dialysis characteristics were analysed, as well as the estimated nursing care time needed.

RESULTS

An increase in the nursing time needed for dialysis was largely due to decreased mobility, closing of the vascular access and a greater need for psychosocial attention and was most strongly present in incident dialysis patients. The time needed for dialysis decreased as patient participation increased and vascular access changed from catheters to fistulae. Over the four-year period, the average overall needed nursing care time per haemodialysis session did not change.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that the average nursing time needed per patient did not change in the four-year observation period. However, more time is required for incident patients; thus, if a centre has high patient turnover, more nursing care time is needed.

Does Time for (in)Direct Nursing Care Activities at the End of Life for Patients With or Without Specialized Palliative Care in a University Hospital Differ? A Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

Nurses' end of life (EoL) care focuses on direct (eg, physical) and indirect (e,g, coordination) care. Little is known about how much time nurses actually devote to these activities and if activities change due to support by specialized palliative care (SPC) in hospitalized patients.

AIMS

(1) Comparing care time for EoL patients receiving SPC to usual palliative care (UPC);(2) Comparing time spent for direct/indirect care in the SPC group before and after SPC.

METHODS

Retrospective observational study; nursing care time for EoL patients based on tacs® data using nonparametric and parametric tests. The Swiss data method tacs measures (in)direct nursing care time for monitoring and cost analyses.

RESULTS

Analysis of tacs® data (UPC, n = 642; SPC, n = 104) during hospitalization before death in 2015. Overall, SPC patients had higher tacs® than UPC patients by 40 direct (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.7-75, P = .023) and 14 indirect tacs® (95% CI: 6.0-23, P < .001). No difference for tacs® by day, as SPC patients were treated for a longer time (mean number of days 7.2 vs 16, P < .001).Subanalysis for SPC patients showed increased direct care time on the day of and after SPC (P < .001), whereas indirect care time increased only on the day of SPC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study gives insight into nurses' time for (in)direct care activities with/without SPC before death. The higher (in)direct nursing care time in SPC patients compared to UPC may reflect higher complexity. Consensus-based measurements to monitor nurses' care activities may be helpful for benchmarking or reimbursement analysis.

Patient classification systems used to classify nursing intensity and assess nursing staffing resources in home health care: A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

To identify the patient classification systems used to classify nursing intensity in the assessment of nursing staffing resources currently used in home health care, with a special emphasis on validity, reliability and staff allocation.

DESIGN

Scoping review of internationally published and grey literature, based on a methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley.

DATA SOURCES

Searches of the electronic databases Cinahl, Medline, Embase and SweMed, the websites Google and Google Scholar and hand searches of reference lists occurred. Eligibility criteria included (A) a focus on patient classification systems measuring nursing intensity and workload in home health care and (B) published in English between January 2007 and March 2019. In level one testing two team members screened titles and abstracts, in level two testing two team members determined which papers should undergo a full text review. Data were extracted using structured extraction by one team member and verified by two other members.

RESULTS

Thirteen peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents were identified, from Canada, Ireland, the UK, the USA, Scotland, Turkey and the Netherlands. Four patient classification systems had been tested for both validity and reliability. Validity was tested through face validity, predictive validity, concurrent validity or content validity index. Reliability was tested through stability, internal consistency, observer agreement or inter rater reliability. One patient classification system had been tested only for reliability, through interrater reliability and observer agreement. Two patient classification systems had been evaluated through summative evaluation; one qualitatively through focus group interviews and one through semi-structured interviews. Only one patient classification system had been validity and reliability tested and evaluated. Overall, the patient classification systems in the included papers (13) were considered to have benefits and to be appropriate for the measurement of patients' needs, workload and allocation of staff, although specific information was not always given.

CONCLUSION

Little has been published on validity or reliability tested patient classification systems linked to staffing allocation in home health care in the past decade. Limited research was seen where a patient classification system was considered to be fully operational in home health care.

A qualitative exploration of breastfeeding support groups in Ireland from the women's perspectives

OBJECTIVE

Volunteer breastfeeding support groups are deemed effective in promoting breastfeeding initiation and duration, but women's views are not well reported. The aim of this study was to explore women's experiences of Breastfeeding Support Groups in Ireland from their perspective.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS

Semi-structured interviews with 15 breastfeeding mothers were conducted with participants recruited as part of a larger mixed-methods study.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted online. Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analysed using Thematic Analysis. Cultural Historical Activity Theory was used as the theoretical framework.

FINDINGS

Six key themes were identified: 'complexity of breastfeeding support', 'community and connection', 'impact of culture on breastfeeding needs', 'the journey', 'passing on', and 'what mothers want'. Mothers primarily attend in order to meet other mothers, and not necessarily with a problem, getting practical suggestions to meet their individual and changing needs. The social aspect of support groups fosters a sense of community and inclusion, long-standing friendships, a social outlet, and ongoing support.

CONCLUSIONS

Mothers attend breastfeeding support groups in order to meet other mothers and continue to attend for this reason to get mothering and breastfeeding support, as well as passing on their knowledge and experiences to other mothers, while meeting their social needs.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

More resources, acknowledgement and funding are needed to provide breastfeeding support groups in local communities. Breastfeeding support groups and health professionals need to emphasise the social aspects of the interactions at these group rather than attending for a breastfeeding problem.

Factors That Influence Home Care Case Managers' Work and Workload

BACKGROUND

Home care services are increasing across Canada and in other developed nations. There has been increased pressure on home care programs to not only accept more clients more rapidly but also work more efficiently. Case management is an approach through which clients access and receive home care. With both rising numbers of clients and growing complexity among them, case managers' work and workload are also increasing. The demands on case managers and expansion in caseloads are happening without an increase in resources or funding. With case manager work increasing steadily, an understanding of the factors that influence their work and workload is vital.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to explore what factors influence case managers' work and workload.

METHODS

This study used an ethnographic approach. It took place in Alberta, Canada, in 3 home care offices in urban and suburban geographic areas. Purposive sampling was used, and participants included 28 home care case managers with predominantly long-term clients (>3 months on home care), 3 site managers, and 1 project lead. Data collection methods included semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observation, participant journaling, and focus groups.

RESULTS

Case manager works were portrayed in 2 key ways: the number and type of tasks a case manager was required to complete and the amount of time and energy needed to complete a task. The factors that influence case manager work and workload fall into 3 overarching categories: structural, operational, or individual factors.

DISCUSSION

The 3 overarching categories, as well as interactions between various factors, contribute to what is known about case managers' work and workload. Participants found it difficult to discuss the factors in isolation because the interaction and "messiness" of the factors were inherent in their actions and stories about their work and workload. Workload includes not only the easily captured work such as direct care and specific activities such as assessment but also diverse forms of invisible work such as problem solving, rapport building, and caseload management, as well as emotional work such as coping, stress management, and team support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT

Case managers' work and workload in home care are important phenomena. In a climate of budgetary restraint and an aging population, which seemingly prefer home care as much as the system desires to provide it as a main option for care, it is important to capture, recognize, and legitimize an understanding of case managers' work and workload. Increased knowledge in this area could, in turn, transforms both home care and case management.

Case Manager Work and Workload: Uncovering a Wicked Problem—A Secondary Analysis Using Interpretive Description

Canada’s population is aging, and by 2027, it is expected that 22 million people will be older than 65 years. Home care services were used by 2.2 million individuals, or 8% of Canadians 15 years of age and older in 2012. Home care programs are continually expanding to meet the needs of the growing number of clients, and goals include keeping people in their homes for as long as possible, delaying the need for institutional care, and maintaining quality of life. Case managers are the gatekeepers to home care in Canada. They collaborate with families to plan care, coordinate home care services and community supports, as well as monitor client progress and evaluate outcomes. The aim of our study was to conduct a qualitative secondary analysis to understand the factors that influence case manager work and workload in home care. We completed a secondary analysis of four data sets from four primary studies of related concepts that occurred between 2006 and 2013. Our study design was inductively driven using the tenets of interpretive description. Case managers’ work and workloads are messy and affected by interrelated complex structures of home care programs within health care systems. The concept of a wicked problem, which describes a problem that is complex and intractable, is a useful construct we use to gain some clarity around the work and workload problems that case managers face. Case managers aim to make a positive difference in their client’s lives, but are constantly dealing with change, and can experience feelings of being their client’s last resort with the resulting pressure ultimately impacting their workload. In addition, case managers reported health system failures, including a lack of capacity and structural integration within home care programs that increase their work and workload. Case manager work and workload requires further research including the development and refinement of accurate workload measurement tools that consider the multiple aspects of professional responsibilities and case management activities. Workload and workload measurement tools are needed to account for the unplanned and unpredictable nature of case management work and assist with the distribution of more equitable caseloads among case managers and home care teams.

Assessment of nursing workload in adult psychiatric inpatient units: A scoping review

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: There is a shortage of empirical research in the field of psychiatric and mental health nursing regarding how to calculate a safe staffing level in psychiatry inpatient units. Furthermore, the tools to assess nursing workload in this specialty are limited. No systematic reviews on measurement tools in adult psychiatric inpatient settings were found. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This study confirms the scarcity and heterogeneity of instruments with which to evaluate nursing workload in this specific context. Likewise, the instruments identified do not capture the complexity of the psychiatric nursing setting, namely, the relational and psychotherapeutic strategies that must be implemented in the patient care approach. The findings of the study suggest that evidence-based tools for adult psychiatric inpatient settings require further development. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This review shows the need to continue to develop tools that assess workload in psychiatric inpatient units that embrace activities related to patient (direct and indirect) and nonpatient activities. The great challenge is providing a sensitive understanding of the workload resulting from psychotherapeutic interventions, the primary treatment that many patients need. This review reinforces the need to add patient outcomes to workload assessment processes.

ABSTRACT

Introduction No systematic reviews on measurement tools in adult psychiatric inpatient settings exist in the literature, and thus, further research is required on ways to identify approaches to calculate safe nurse staffing levels based on patients' care needs in adult psychiatric inpatient units. Aim To identify instruments that enable an assessment of nursing workload in psychiatric settings. Method A scoping review was conducted. Results Four studies were identified, with five instruments used to support the calculation of staff needs and workload. All four studies present methodological limitations. Two instruments have already been adapted to this specific context, but validation studies are lacking. Discussion The findings indicate that the tools used to evaluate nursing workload in these settings require further development, with the concomitant need for more research to clarify the definition of nursing workload as well as to identify factors with the greatest impact on nursing workload. Implications for practice This review highlights the need to develop tools to assess workload in psychiatric inpatient units that embrace patient-related and non-patient-related activities. The great challenge is to enable a sensitive perception of workload resulting from nurses' psychotherapeutic interventions, an important component of treatment for many patients.

Using a new interrater reliability method to test the modified Oulu Patient Classification instrument in home health care

Aim

To test the interrater reliability of the modified Oulu Patient Classification instrument, using a multiple parallel classification method based on oral case presentations in home health care in Norway.

Design

Reliability study.

Methods

Data were collected at two municipal home healthcare units during 2013-2014. The reliability of the modified OPCq instrument was tested using a new multiple parallel classification method. The data material consisted of 2 010 parallel classifications, analysed using consensus in per cent and Cohen's kappa. Cronbach's alpha was used to measure internal consistency.

Results

For parallel classifications, consensus varied between 64.78-77.61%. Interrater reliability varied between 0.49-0.69 (Cohen's kappa), the internal consistency between 0.81-0.94 (Cronbach's alpha). Analysis of the raw scores showed 27.2% classifications had the same points, 39.1% differed one point, 17.9% differed two points and 16.5% differed ≥3 points.

Japanese Outreach Model Project for patients who have difficulty maintaining contact with mental health services: Comparison of care between higher-functioning and lower-functioning groups

AIM

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare sponsored the current examination of a new community mental health service, the Japan Outreach Model Project (JOMP), for persons with mental illnesses and who find it difficult to continue with ongoing treatment. Shorter readmission rates and hospital stays were found. In this study, the amount and type of care that were delivered by the JOMP were examined in order to inform the process of establishing the public insurance system.

METHODS

The data were collected from 32 JOMP outreach teams from 21 prefectures in Japan that agreed to participate; 415 patients were included in the analysis. The clients' characteristics, social functions, problematic behavior score, and the amount and type of care that were delivered were examined.

RESULTS

Higher amounts of care were delivered in the first month, compared to the remaining months, and the care was relatively stable from months 2-5. This suggests that consistently high care was needed for the JOMP clients who found it difficult to maintain contact with mental health services. Those clients with an increased overall global assessment functioning score at 6 months (n = 151) had received significantly more care than those whose functioning had decreased or remained stable (n = 150). The types of increased care that were provided to the higher functioning group were: "assistance with daily living tasks," "medical support for psychiatric symptoms," "empowering the client," "communication and coordination," "support for physical health," and "vocational and educational support."

CONCLUSION

The type and amount of care can positively influence good functional outcomes for those in the community who find it difficult to maintain contact with mental health services.

Use of the nursing intervention classification for identifying the workload of a nursing team in a surgical center

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the distribution of nursing professionals' workloads, according to the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC), during the transoperative period at a surgical center specializing in oncology.

METHODS

this was an observational and descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 11 nurses, 25 nursing technicians who performed a variety of roles within the operating room, 16 nursing technicians who worked with the surgical instrumentation and two nursing technicians from patient reception who worked in the surgical center during the transoperative period. An instrument was developed to collect data and the interventions were validated according to NIC taxonomy.

RESULTS

a total of 266 activities were identified and mapped into 49 nursing interventions, seven domains and 20 classes of the NIC. The most representative domains were Physiological-Complex (61.68%) and Health System (22.12%), while the most frequent interventions were Surgical Care (30.62%) and Documentation (11.47%), respectively. The productivity of the nursing team reached 95.34%.

CONCLUSIONS

use of the Nursing Intervention Classification contributes towards the discussion regarding adequate, professional nursing staffing levels, because it shows the distribution of the work load.

Caseload management methods for use within district nursing teams: a literature review

Effective and efficient caseload management requires extensive skills to ensure that patients receive the right care by the right person at the right time. District nursing caseloads are continually increasing in size and complexity, which requires specialist district nursing knowledge and skills. This article reviews the literature related to caseload management with the aim of identifying the most effective method for district nursing teams. The findings from this review are that there are different styles and methods of caseload management. The literature review was unable to identify a single validated tool or method, but identified themes for implementing effective caseload management, specifically caseload analysis; workload measurement; work allocation; service and practice development and workforce planning. This review also identified some areas for further research.

Measuring Home Care Caseloads

In response to caseloads that are increasing in numbers and acuity, Alberta Health Services developed the Caseload Intensity Tool (CIT). The development and testing process led to a valid and reliable tool that connects client clinical condition to clinician response. The CIT allows clinicians to discriminate between levels of client intensity quickly and accurately. The scores for each client are summarized first into a client intensity scale and then a caseload intensity scale. The CIT can facilitate caseload management including matching client needs to resources and improving staff resource management, for example, equitable caseloads. There is potential for the tool to validate the relatively invisible work of case managers making it understandable, measurable, and defensible during times of rising costs and budget restraint.

Capturing district nursing through a knowledge-based electronic caseload analysis tool (eCAT)

The Electronic Caseload Analysis Tool (eCAT) is a knowledge-based software tool to assist the caseload analysis process. The tool provides a wide range of graphical reports, along with an integrated clinical advisor, to assist district nurses, team leaders, operational and strategic managers with caseload analysis by describing, comparing and benchmarking district nursing practice in the context of population need, staff resources, and service structure. District nurses and clinical lead nurses in Northern Ireland developed the tool, along with academic colleagues from the University of Ulster, working in partnership with a leading software company. The aim was to use the eCAT tool to identify the nursing need of local populations, along with the variances in district nursing practice, and match the workforce accordingly. This article reviews the literature, describes the eCAT solution and discusses the impact of eCAT on nursing practice, staff allocation, service delivery and workforce planning, using fictitious exemplars and a post-implementation evaluation from the trusts.

Use of dependency and prioritization tools by clinical nurse specialists in palliative care: an exploratory study

AIMS

The principal aim was to assess the utility of three needs assessment/dependency tools for use in community-based palliative care services. Specific objectives were to assess a sample of patients receiving specialist palliative care community nursing using these tools, to assess the predictive ability of each tool, and to explore the utility of prioritizing and measuring patient dependency from a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) perspective.

METHOD

In phase 1, 22 community-based CNSs completed the Vale prioritization tool for all patients visited during a 3-month period (n=162). They also completed either the Graves and Payne (2007) or the Birch et al (1997) dependency tool after each visit. In phase 2 a focus group (n=8) and two one-to-one interviews with CNS participants explored the perceived utility of all three tools.

RESULTS

The Vale prioritization tool appeared to be the most useful for prioritizing patient need and managing workload. Statistical analysis highlighted minimal differences between the two dependency tools, neither of which predicted length of visit. Three themes were identified from phase 2: difficulties with routine administration, points of divergence between the two dependency tools, and workload concerns.

CONCLUSION

While the Vale prioritization tool emerged as the most useful, the findings raise questions about the overall utility and practical application of these kinds of tools with community-based palliative care patients. Further research is needed to identify/develop, adapt, and evaluate appropriate, setting-specific dependency tools for use with this population.

Calculating nurse staffing in community mental health and community health settings in South Australia

AIM

The article reports the development of and data from a preliminary evaluation of a staffing methodology equalization tool (SMET) designed for the South Australian Department of Health to equalize the workload of community mental health and community health nurses working within multidisciplinary teams.

BACKGROUND

Shorter admissions, increasing patient acuity, and shortages of beds have intensified the work of community nurses. Existing workload models have limitations for community nursing settings.

METHOD

A workload tool for community mental health and community nurses was developed in consultation with a reference group of nurses. A trial was conducted at six sites, and the tool was evaluated using qualitative and quantitative data.

RESULTS

The tool increased transparency and equity of workloads in community teams and provided a means of reducing workload through demonstration of a capacity to take new clients, however, further work is required to factor the intensity of caseload into the tool.

CONCLUSIONS

The tool needs further evaluation to determine its applicability to a range of clinical settings.

Does nursing leadership affect the quality of care in the community setting?

AIM

To examine perceptions about how nursing leadership affects quality of care in the community setting.

BACKGROUND

Quality care is considered an essential component of nursing work and recent policy has emphasized the role of leadership in meeting the quality agenda. As shifting the balance of nursing care from the hospital to the community occurs in the UK, there is an imperative to confirm more effectively the quality of care that patients and families receive from nurses working in the community.

METHODS

A qualitative study involving community nurse leaders (n = 12) and community nurses (n = 27) in semi-structured individual interviews (n = 31) and three focus groups (n = 13).

RESULTS

Tensions exist between 'leading' for quality care and 'delivering' for quality care. Organisational decision making is challenged by limited measures of quality of care in the diverse roles of community nursing.

CONCLUSIONS

Frontline community nurses and nurse leaders need to articulate how they intend quality of nursing care to be appreciated and actively indicate ways to show this.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Mechanisms to monitor patient safety, a key aspect of the policy agenda for quality care and other technical aspects of care are important for nurse leaders to develop with frontline community nurses.

A human factors framework and study of the effect of nursing workload on patient safety and employee quality of working life

BACKGROUND

Nursing workload is increasingly thought to contribute to both nurses' quality of working life and quality/safety of care. Prior studies lack a coherent model for conceptualising and measuring the effects of workload in healthcare. In contrast, we conceptualised a human factors model for workload specifying workload at three distinct levels of analysis and having multiple nurse and patient outcomes.

METHODS

To test this model, we analysed results from a cross-sectional survey of a volunteer sample of nurses in six units of two academic tertiary care paediatric hospitals.

RESULTS

Workload measures were generally correlated with outcomes of interest. A multivariate structural model revealed that: the unit-level measure of staffing adequacy was significantly related to job dissatisfaction (path loading=0.31) and burnout (path loading=0.45); the task-level measure of mental workload related to interruptions, divided attention, and being rushed was associated with burnout (path loading=0.25) and medication error likelihood (path loading=1.04). Job-level workload was not uniquely and significantly associated with any outcomes.

DISCUSSION

The human factors engineering model of nursing workload was supported by data from two paediatric hospitals. The findings provided a novel insight into specific ways that different types of workload could affect nurse and patient outcomes. These findings suggest further research and yield a number of human factors design suggestions.

Time in care for older people living in nursing homes

In order to measure actual care needs in relation to resources required to fulfill these needs, an instrument (Time in Care) with which to evaluate care needs and determine the time needed for various care activities has been developed with the aim of assessing nursing intensity in municipal care for older people. Interreliability (ICC = 0.854) of time measurements (n = 10'546) of 32 nursing activities in relation to evaluated care levels in two nursing homes (staff n = 81) has been determined. Nursing intensity for both periods at the two nursing homes comprised on average a direct care time of 75 (45%) and 101 (42%) minutes, respectively. Work time was measured according to actual schedule (462 hours per nursing home during two weeks). Given that the need for care was high, one must further investigate if the quality of care the recipients received was sufficiently addressed.

Reliability and validity of the CCNCS: a dependency workload measurement system

AIM

To refine, test and evaluate the Community Client Need Classification System (CCNCS).

BACKGROUND

Workload assessment in community nursing is complicated by the range of services that may be delivered in one patient interaction. The CCNCS is a workload measurement system designed to capture the direct and indirect elements of community nursing work and is suitable for use with all care groups in the community.

DESIGN

Survey.

METHOD

Forty-four community nurses implemented the CCNCS with all clients in their caseload for four weeks. Community nursing in the Irish Republic is known as public health nursing. The Public Health Nurses (PHNs) recorded the total time in minutes that was spent on each client each week. The satisfaction with and experiences of PHNs using the CCNCS during the study period was also recorded.

RESULTS

Participants endorsed the utility of the CCNCS for use in community nursing. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability results were positive with high level of agreement between raters in relation to scoring community clients. The amount of time the PHNs spent with clients correlated with ascending level of client need.

CONCLUSIONS

The CCNCS affords insight into the complex nature of community nursing. It discriminates between levels of need and has potential to provide a standardised assessment of need in all community-nursing clients. Adequate resources are required to conduct further testing of the reliability and predictive validity of this system.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The CCNCS can provide objective evidence of community nursing workload and thus facilitate workforce planning.

Assessment of dependency levels of older people in the community and measurement of nursing workload

AIM

This paper is a report of a study to explore the relationship between the dependency levels of older people who are part of the community nurse's caseload and the volume and nature of nursing input required.

BACKGROUND

International healthcare policy has consistently emphasized the reorientation of health services from hospital to community care. It is necessary to determine ways to use nursing resources appropriately to meet service needs of an increasing older population.

METHOD

This quantitative study was conducted in one region of Ireland, which included a city and sparsely populated rural areas. Over a 4-week period in 2004, a volunteer sample of 44 nurses assessed all older people (1482) on their community caseload using the Community Client Need Classification System. In addition, participants recorded the amount of care time spent with each individual client by all members of the community nursing team.

FINDINGS

The vast majority of clients were seen in their own homes (85%, n = 1259). On the 5-point Community Client Need Classification System, the majority (39%, n = 571) were assessed at level 2 (low level of need) and 4% (n = 61) at level 5 (high level of need). As client need level increased, the consumption of community nursing time also increased.

CONCLUSION

The tool was successful in discriminating between care needs levels of older people and may be useful in predicting the type and amount of human resources required by individuals who need community nursing services. Lack of information on demographic variables may limit the transferability of these findings.