A Delphi-based framework for optimizing nurse staffing in Chinese hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Administration
• Health Policy

Background:

• The Healthy China initiative emphasizes optimizing healthcare resources.
• Effective allocation of hospital nursing human resources is crucial for patient safety and quality of care.
• Existing systems may not adequately address the complexities of nursing workforce management in Chinese hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a structured evaluation system for hospital nursing human resource allocation within the Healthy China initiative.
• To provide data-driven insights for optimizing nursing staffing decisions.
• To enhance nursing human resource management for improved patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• A literature review and semi-structured interviews identified an initial index pool.
• Two rounds of Delphi method consultations with 26 experts screened and refined evaluation indexes.
• Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to calculate index weights.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive nursing human resource staffing evaluation system was established.
• The system comprises 3 primary, 7 secondary, and 25 tertiary indexes.
• This represents the first structured Delphi-and AHP-based staffing evaluation system for Chinese hospitals.

Conclusions:

• The developed system offers empirical evidence and recommendations for nursing human resource management in China.
• Hospitals are recommended to implement this system for regular monitoring and optimization of nursing staffing.
• Further research should explore the system's long-term impact on patient outcomes and nurse retention.