Transitioning from Nurse-Patient Ratios to Workload Intensity Staffing: What Helps and Hinders the Change
Cynthia Thornton Bacon1, JoAnna Gontarz, Marjorie Jenkins
1Author Affiliations: Associate Professor (Dr Bacon) and PhD Student (Ms Gontarz), University of North Carolina at Greensboro; and Director of Nursing Research (Dr Jenkins), Cone Health, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to explore the facilitators and barriers in implementing a workload intensity (WI) tool.
Background:
A WI tool was developed to quantify patient needs and more evenly disperse workload among nurses.
Methods:
A descriptive phenomenological design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 nurses on 5 inpatient units. Questions focused on the factors that helped or hindered the change transition to workload intensity staffing (WIS).
Results:
WI was perceived as a positive change. Five themes were uncovered as facilitators and barriers to the change: resistance to change, intense workloads, supportive organizational culture, resources/training, and evaluation.
Conclusions:
Understanding barriers and facilitators to change is important for successful implementation of WIS. To promote success, leaders should provide support to staff and ensure availability of adequate resources.
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