title: Nursing workforce planning: insights from seven Malaysian hospitals.
abstract: In 2010, the Royal College of Nursing asked: 'What is the optimal level and mix of nurses required to deliver quality care as cost-effectively as possible?' This question implies there is a relationship between staffing levels, quality of care and financial efficiency. This paper examines the relationship between the staff budget, the number of staff required to achieve a target level of care and the actual number of staff employed in seven hospitals in Malaysia. It seeks to critically evaluate local challenges arising from staff budgeting/planning procedures, identify general issues that apply beyond Malaysian healthcare institutions and, finally, to propose a model that combines finance, staffing and level of care.
authors.affiliation: Sheffield Hallam University, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Drake
mesh_terms: D002017:Budgets / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016304:Hospitals, Private / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016526:Workload / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data