title: [Assessment of nursing workload in three groups of patients in a Spanish ICU using the Nursing Activities Score Scale].
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the nursing workload at admission to and discharge from intensive care of three groups of patients (i.e., acute coronary syndrome, acute respiratory failure, and sepsis). A prospective, descriptive study was performed over a 27-month period and included 563 patients. The workload was assessed using the Nursing Activities Score scale. Significant differences in the workload were determined on the days of admission and discharge: the workload was higher in both cases for patients with acute respiratory failure and sepsis compared with patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome. This difference was maintained over the first seven days of their hospital stay. From day 8 on, the difference disappeared, and a workload balance was achieved in the three groups. Good staffing requires adequate tools for measuring care needs and understanding the workload required in the groups of patients who are most frequently admitted to intensive care.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería de laUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos. Alcorcón, Madrid, España. javier.carmona@urjc.es
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Carmona-Monge
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jara-Pérez
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quirós-Herranz
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rollán-Rodríguez
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cerrillo-González
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Gómez
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Lareo
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marín-Morales
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009729:Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload