A Comparison of Nurse Staffing Methods Used by the United States Air Force and Selected Civilian Hospitals
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the ways in which nurse staffing requirements are determined in Air Force and civilian hospitals. Differences in staffing methods might point to ways in which the Air Force could improve its nurse staffing process. Methods were compared across five elements of the staffing process: patient classification systems, long-term requirements, short-term requirements, short-term staff adjustment, and minimum staffing standards. The most significant difference in staffing methods lies in the area of patient classification systems. The literature and the civilian hospitals examined confirm a movement to acuity-based measurement of nurse workload using patient classification systems, though the Air Force still determines nurse requirements based on average occupied bed days. The study recommends creation of a program funded at the Air force level to accelerate the implementation of the Workload Management System for Nursing (WMSN) in Air Force hospitals. The other significant difference involves the hospitals' ability to supplement their baseline staff when necessary. Civilian hospitals routinely use internal 'float' pools and external agencies to temporarily increase their nursing staff. Air Force hospitals' ability to use such measures is limited, since funding must be provided by the individual hospital at the expense of some other budget item. The study recommends that the Air Force provide separate, additional funding to hospitals for use in hiring civil service agency nurses when a temporary need is identified. Keywords: Military theses; Personnel management. (kt)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA215749
Entities
People
- John E. Loschiavo
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology