Determining Nurse Staffing for Peritoneal Dialysis Care

There is no consensus on the ideal staffing levels for peritoneal dialysis (PD) units. The objective of this two-phase study was to evaluate nurse staffing levels in a PD unit based on activities and time spent performing them. An instrument was created based on nursing activities identified by a focus group, and the time spent performing these activities was measured over a four-month period. Forty-seven activities were identified, including care assistance activities (29), management activities (12), educational activities (5), and research activities (1). Direct patient care predominated, consuming 55.3% of overall time worked. Based on time spent per activity, we estimate that 70.2 hours of nursing care is required to care for one patient for one year.