title: Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes Tool for Measuring Pediatric Critical Care Nursing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Historically, nursing productivity has been measured in adult settings and based on time, intensity, and resource allocation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop a comprehensive measure of pediatric critical care nursing workload.
  
  
  METHODS
  An expert panel of pediatric critical care nurses used a modified Delphi method to identify 14 domains of nursing care with a number of corresponding care items in each domain. By consensus, they assigned each care item a cognitive complexity rating from 1 to 5. The panel next developed a classification system (classes I-V) to support interpretation of the patient's total score. The Complexity Assessment and Monitoring to Ensure Optimal Outcomes (CAMEO) tool was initiated with a cohort of 75 pediatric cardiac critical care patients to verify comprehensive capture of nursing care. Results of completed CAMEO tools were summarized by using descriptive statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cognitive workload across 14 domains of care was described, and each care item in the domain was scored. The range of CAMEO total scores was 25 to 230 (median, 124). For the initial cohort of patients, the cognitive complexity of care classifications were 13% as class I or II, 80% as class III or IV, and 7% as class V.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CAMEO tool was comprehensive in describing and quantifying the cognitive workload of pediatric critical care nurses. The CAMEO classification process informs staffing needs that support synergy between the needs of patients and their families and nurses' knowledge and skill. Articulation of nursing care focused on informed clinical decision making is needed to justify the value of skilled nurses.
authors.affiliation: Jean Anne Connor is director of nursing research in the Cardiovascular and Critical Care Programs, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital and a clinical instructor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Christine LaGrasta is a nurse practitioner in the Cardiovascular Program, Boston Children's Hospital. Patricia A. Hickey is vice-president and associate chief nursing officer, Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Jean.Connor@childrens.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jean Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.affiliation: Jean Anne Connor is director of nursing research in the Cardiovascular and Critical Care Programs, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital and a clinical instructor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Christine LaGrasta is a nurse practitioner in the Cardiovascular Program, Boston Children's Hospital. Patricia A. Hickey is vice-president and associate chief nursing officer, Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: LaGrasta
authors.affiliation: Jean Anne Connor is director of nursing research in the Cardiovascular and Critical Care Programs, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital and a clinical instructor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Christine LaGrasta is a nurse practitioner in the Cardiovascular Program, Boston Children's Hospital. Patricia A. Hickey is vice-president and associate chief nursing officer, Cardiovascular and Critical Care Services, Department of Nursing Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital, and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hickey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult