Using the Synergy Tool to Determine Regina Emergency Department Staffing Needs.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care Services

Background:

• Emergency departments face challenges in optimizing nurse staffing.
• Existing staffing models may not adequately address varying patient acuity and dependency levels.
• A collaborative approach involving researchers, health authorities, unions, and frontline staff is crucial for effective solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based staffing guidelines for tertiary care emergency departments.
• To align nurse staffing with patient priority care needs using a validated assessment tool.
• To compare patient needs-based staffing with budget-driven operational guidelines.

Main Methods:

• A three-year project involving nurse researchers, a health authority, a nurses' union, and emergency department leadership.
• Utilized the synergy tool to assess and categorize patient acuity and dependency.
• Developed staffing guidelines correlating patient needs with nurse experience and classification.

Main Results:

• Patient needs-based staffing guidelines were developed and compared to operational budget guidelines.
• Significant staffing gaps were identified when comparing patient needs to existing operational budgets.
• The identified gaps directly informed and resulted in the hiring of additional nurses for both departments.

Conclusions:

• Staffing guidelines based on patient acuity and dependency needs are essential for effective emergency department operations.
• A patient-needs-driven approach can reveal and rectify critical staffing shortages.
• Collaborative projects can lead to tangible improvements in nurse staffing and patient care outcomes.