Linking nursing workload and performance indicators in ambulatory care.
More and more ambulatory care organizations are using nursing report cards to monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing care in the ambulatory setting. Nurse staffing levels is usually one of the items included in a nursing report card and the one most scrutinized by ambulatory care administrators. One strategy employed by the nursing leadership at the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System to justify nurse staffing levels is linking administrative staffing monitors with nurse-sensitive outcomes via workload and performance indicators. Through this approach, nurse leaders are able to justify nurse staffing level changes, needed technology changes, process improvements, and/or workflow needs to administrators with positive results and support.
Nursing Service, South Texas Veterans Healthcare System, Kerrville, TX, USA.
Karen F
KF
Griffin
Beth Ann
BA
Swan
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000592:standards*; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards*