title: Measuring the nursing workload per shift in the ICU.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the intensive care unit (ICU) different strategies and workload measurement tools exist to indicate the number of nurses needed. The gathered information is always focused on manpower needed per 24 h. However, a day consists of several shifts, which may be unequal in nursing workload. The aim of this study was to evaluate if differences in nursing workload between consecutive shifts can be identified by a nursing workload measurement tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nursing activities score (NAS) was registered per patient for every shift during a 4-week period in a prospective, observational research project in the surgical-pediatric ICU (SICU-PICU) and medical ICU (MICU) of an academic hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The NAS was influenced by the patient characteristics and the type of shift. Furthermore, the scores were lower during night shifts, in weekends and in MICU patients. Overall, the mean NAS per nurse per shift was 85.5 %, and the NAS per 24 h was 54.7 %.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown that the nursing workload can be measured per working shift. In the ICU, the NAS differentiates the nursing workload between shifts, patients and units.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. Dieter.Debergh@UGent.be
authors.forename: Dieter P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Debergh
authors.forename: Dries
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Myny
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Herzeele
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Van Maele
authors.forename: Dinis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Reis Miranda
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colardyn
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D003422:Critical Care; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*