Patient care and nursing practice when staff requirements exceed staff availability

This study examined the Workload Management System for Nurses at a tertiary-care Army hospital to determine the incongruence between recommended nursing care hours and actual nursing care hours provided. The purpose of the study was to describe patient care and nursing practice when calculated staff requirements exceed actual staff availabilty. The findings of the study indicated that basic nursing care tasks were accomplished; however, professional development activities were sacrificed. The data reveal that nurses do not have the time to grow professionally through research or education, and they are reduced to assembly-line mentality as they go from task to task without being able to care for a patient as a person.