title: Estimation of nursing staff in selected hospitals of ilam and ahvaz provinces, Western iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The nurses as the largest group among different groups of hospital workforce play a crucial role in success of the hospital activities and promotion of community health.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to obtain an estimation of the necessary nursing workforce status in educational hospitals affiliated to Ilam and Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences based on the scientific formula.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research was a cross sectional-descriptive study, which was done in hospitals affiliated to Ilam and Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences during 2010. Using three researcher-made forms, data was collected from all clinical, para-clinical, financial, administrative and support departments of hospitals. Data was analyzed in accordance to the standards of Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education using the Excel software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the nursing staffs in the 42 wards (89.5 %) were lower than the standards, only one ward (2 %) matched the standards and the rest of the wards (8.5%) were higher than the standards. The organizational dislocation (utilization of nurses in non-related jobs) of nursing staffs obtained for Imam Khomeini of Ilam, Mostafa Khomeini, Taleghani, Razi and Imam Khomeini of Ahvaz Hospitals were 8, 5, 3, 8 and 21, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Generally, the studied hospitals were faced with a lack of nursing manpower and distribution of manpower was not appropriate. Proper planning and management of manpower in accordance with the lack of personnel, compensates and achieves the standards required for hospital's nursing manpower and this would lead to an increase in the efficiency of hospitals activities and can provide satisfaction for the nursing staff.
authors.affiliation: Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadkarim
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahadori
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.affiliation: Students' Scientific Research Center, School of Management and Medical Information, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sadeghifar
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Management, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Batoul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Students' Scientific Research Center, School of Management and Medical Information, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salimi
authors.affiliation: Health Management Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yghoubi
keywords: Estimation; Hospital; Nursing Staff