title: Staffing and organisation of nursing care in cardiac intensive care units in Greece.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore staffing and organisational characteristics of nursing care in cardiac intensive care units (CICUs) in Greece.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory descriptive survey design with additional cross-sectional comparisons was employed. A specifically developed survey-type questionnaire, addressed to nurse managers, was distributed to all CICUs in Greece.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 76.2% (N=32 units). Nursing staff per bed ratios over 24 h (whole-time equivalent) were very low and exhibited a mean of 1.25 (+/-0.53). The total registered nurse to assistance nurse (RN/AN) ratio was 2.74, but a lot of variability was observed and in many units ANs operated in RNs positions. Only 42% of the nurses had participated at in-service continuing education programs and a systematic training program in cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was provided in only 12 (37.5%) units. The reported frequencies at which specific technical tasks were performed autonomously by nurses varied substantially and reflected a medium to low level of practice autonomy; the most frequently reported tasks were: peripheral IV line insertion, CPR chest compression, titration of vasoactive drugs and administration of analgesics. Higher percentages of nurses had received in-service training associated with the likelihood of performance of several technical tasks (P<0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies need to explore the effect of these organisational characteristics on patient outcomes. The endorsement of nation-wide standards for nursing staffing and training in CICUs is imperative.
authors: Nursing Training Department, Evangelismos Hospital, Athens, Greece. anmerk@ath.forthnet.gr
authors: Anastasios
authors: A
authors: Merkouris
authors: Elizabeth D E
authors: ED
authors: Papathanassoglou
authors: Dimitrios
authors: D
authors: Pistolas
authors: Vasileia
authors: V
authors: Papagiannaki
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Floros
authors: Chryssoula
authors: C
authors: Lemonidou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003325:Coronary Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006115:Greece; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload