Classifying nursing roles in critical infectious disease care: a multicenter cross-sectional study using cluster...

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Critical Care
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Nursing roles in critical infectious diseases care are complex and varied.
• Optimizing human resource allocation and care efficiency requires understanding these roles.
• Existing role classifications may not fully capture practice patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify nursing roles in critical infectious diseases care based on practice patterns and nurse characteristics.
• To describe the features of identified nursing role types.
• To provide empirical evidence for optimizing staffing and enhancing care efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter cross-sectional survey study involving 275 nurses.
• Data collected via a questionnaire on 80 nursing activities, demographics, and workload.
• Hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means clustering used to identify nursing role types.

Main Results:

• Three nursing role types identified: Comprehensive Development, Management and Coordination, and Clinical Task Execution.
• These roles differ in engagement across clinical care, advanced skills, and management domains.
• Role types varied significantly by age, experience, position, workload, and intention to leave.

Conclusions:

• Nursing roles in critical infectious diseases care form an informal, stratified hierarchy.
• The derived typology supports precision staffing, role clarification, and retention strategies.
• Evidence-based role frameworks can enhance workforce sustainability and patient safety.