title: Patients' needs for nursing care: beyond staffing ratios.
abstract: The current focus on staffing ratios as a means to assure appropriate care for patients ignores the very real differences among patients in their needs for nursing care. Implementing a system that identifies these needs provides a more accurate indication of staffing requirements. In addition, storing the raw data from the system at their most basic level provides opportunities for more extensive analyses and informed, data-driven decision-making related to resource allocation, performance improvement, and productivity enhancement.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRB 015, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feilteau
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Coakley
authors.forename: Jeanette Ives
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Erickson
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D001900:Boston; D003660:Decision Support Systems, Management; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010562:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling Information Systems; D040841:Resource Allocation