[Electronic data processing in nursing: specific needs related to rostering programs in nursing]

Electronic data processing is taking over in the nursing domain in German hospitals. This is due, not only to the fact that computer hard- and software are getting better and cheaper, but also due to the legal demands of the new health legislation. Neither nurse-managers nor the nurses themselves are adequately prepared for this technical innovation or its implications. The dominant influence of management-interests leads to the danger that criteria relevant to the content of nursing fail to be taken into account. Consequently the quality of care may suffer. The Ministry for environment, energy, youth, family and health has commissioned the Agnes Karll Institute for Nursing Research to identify software features specific for the requirement of nurses. The study focuses on rostering programs for nursing staff allocation, in relation to the workload and on conditions which have to be met to make software nurse-friendly. Selected, important results are reported.