Info-NAS: A Computer Program for the Calculation of Intensive Care Unit Nurse Workload

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Healthcare Management
• Clinical Informatics

Background:

• Accurate nursing workload assessment is crucial for optimal patient care and resource allocation in intensive care units (ICUs).
• Manual calculation of nursing workload can be time-consuming and subjective.
• Electronic Health Records (EHRs) offer potential for automating workload assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a computer-based algorithm for the automatic calculation of nursing workload in ICUs.
• To base the algorithm on the established Nursing Activities Score (NAS) scale.
• To integrate the algorithm with existing Electronic Health Records (EHRs) for seamless data capture.

Main Methods:

• Employed the Delphi method with a panel of experts to establish consensus.
• Identified correspondences between NAS items and EHR variables, including standardized terminology, laboratory values, and prescriptions.
• Experts independently weighted the identified EHR variables.

Main Results:

• Developed a functional algorithm capable of automatically calculating nursing workload in ICUs.
• The algorithm provides objective and automated workload quantification directly from EHR data.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of the algorithm for rapid and objective nurse staffing assessment.

Conclusions:

• The developed algorithm presents a feasible, rapid, and objective strategy for quantifying nursing workload and determining adequate nurse staffing in ICUs.
• The tool serves as a practical resource for nurses, encouraging accurate record completion and quality improvement.
• Automating workload calculation through EHRs enhances efficiency and objectivity in critical care settings.