Special characteristics of nursing staff scheduling in intensive care units

The method of determination of working time standards for nursing staff scheduling based on self-observation, which is applied in hospital practice, evokes doubts concerning its methodological correctness. Considering the lack of nursing care standards and not always optimum quality of care, this method may contribute to the preservation of standards which would not guarantee patients' safety. Therefore, studies have been undertaken to find out if there are any differences between the nursing time provided in intensive care units, and the time which patients should be provided with according to their actual demand for care. The study covered 63 patients in the ICU, for whom the time of performing 2,821 various therapeutic and nursing activities was measured. In order to determine working time standards a more reliable method was applied--an active observation with time-scheduling technique and model times. Patients who differed with respect to the diagnosis, state of health, and period of hospitalization were ascribed three categories of care according to their state of health and the adopted criteria of care. Statistically significant differences were noted between the nursing time devoted to patients and the time they should be provided with according to their demand for care.