title: The characterisation of workloads and nursing staff allocation in intensive care units: a descriptive study using the Nursing Activities Score for the first time in Norway.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compares the Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower Use Score (NEMS) to the Nursing Activities Score (NAS) in terms of characterising the nursing workload by examining and calculating the per-nurse NAS% over a 24-h period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 235 patients from four volunteered for the study multidisciplinary ICUs in Norway. The daily NEMS, NAS and number of nurses who were involved in patient care per ICU were measured over one month from 2008 to 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average length of stay for the included patients was 5 days, and the mean patient age was 52.8 years. The mean NEMS was 32.7 points (S.D., 8.98 points), and the mean NAS was 96.24% (S.D., 22.35%). Several nurses exhibited mean NEMS points that ranged from 16 to 39.7 per ICU per day. The correlation between the NEMS and NAS could only be separately determined for each ICU. The correlation was r=0.16-0.40 [significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)] per unit. Depending on which unit was investigated, each nurse was observed to perform of capacity with a NAS as high as 75-90%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that the actual numbers of nurses might explain the calculated NAS of 75-90% per nurse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet, Norway. siv.stafseth@oslo-universitetssykehus.no
authors.forename: Siv K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Stafseth
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Solms
authors.forename: Inger Schou
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Bredal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload