title: Validation of the behavioral observation system. Using nurse ratings of acuity.
abstract: 1. One of the goals of the BOS is to gather supplemental, objective data to help unit administration determine patient acuity, and thus, staffing needs. 2. The BOS was developed to help provide information that is easily collected, objective, reliable, and valid. 3. The current study sought to establish preliminary support for use of the BOS to assess patient acuity and determine staffing needs. 4. Because the BOS can be completed as part of HSWs' daily tasks with little additional cost, the data can be available to decision makers to determine the unit's needs more accurately and efficiently.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, West Virginia University School of Medicine, William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital, Drawer 1127, Weston, WV 26452, USA. nmogge@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Neil L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Mogge
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lepage
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000523:psychology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011599:Psychopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014903:West Virginia