Purpose
This study aimed to examine the relationship between nursing care needs and nurse staffing in pulmonology units.
Methods
This was a descriptive study that used a retrospective design. In total, 2,622 patient medical records from a tertiary hospital were analyzed. Variables were collected from Clinical Data Warehouse and Electronic Medical Records.
Results
The study found a difference in nursing care needs and nurse staffing by shift among units. In unit A (general unit), nurses were assigned according to nursing care needs and the proportion of severe patients. However, in unit B (general unit), higher nursing needs could lead to an increase in the number of patients per nurse on night duty (r=.23, p<.001). In unit C (comprehensive nursing care service unit), the number of patients per nurse during the day increased as nursing needs increased. The higher the proportion of “greater than two points in nursing activities”, the higher the number of patients per nurse during the day (r=.13, p=.010) and evening (r=.12, p=.018). However, the higher the proportion of “greater than three points in activities of daily living”, the lower the number of patients per nurse during the night shift (r=-.28, p<.001).
Conclusion
Patients’ nursing care needs should be considered in the management of nurse staffing. We should develop a nurse staffing program that considers variation in daily nursing care needs to establish efficient staffing guidelines.