Nurse requirement planning: a computer-based model

The paper considers the recent debate on mandating patient-nurse ratios in inpatient units of hospitals, and highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to requirement estimation, which can facilitate the implementation of mandated patient-nurse ratios in hospitals.

After considering the available methods for nurse requirement planning, this paper intends to discuss an alternative approach for estimating nurse requirement when certain patient-nurse ratios have been prescribed.

Once the required information becomes available, the next task is to estimate unit-wise and overall nurse requirement. As the computational effort is quite considerable, the paper develops and elucidates a computer-assisted nurse requirement-planning model, which helps in systematizing and accelerating the estimation process.

The computer-based nurse requirement-planning model enables planners to respond objectively and promptly to requests for more nurses by nursing administrators (who perceive nurse shortages).

The paper demonstrates the unique advantage of this computer-based approach over conventional methods, especially when the planner wishes to pre-evaluate alternative decision options by simulating manpower implications under alternative scenarios.