title: [Staffing needs of an intensive care unit in consideration of applicable hygiene guidelines--an exploratory analysis].
abstract: The patient burden in intensive care units (ICU) has continually increased worldwide over the past decades. Age, co-morbidities and an increasing complexity of conditions and treatments increase the number of patients who are either colonized or infected with antibiotic-resistant pathogens. To prevent nosocomial infections, hygiene guidelines play an important role. In this paper, we investigate the time needed for nursing of five hypothetical critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. The results show that current staffing is not sufficient under the given hygiene guidelines and that a nurse to patient ratio of one will be necessary to meet the requirements. In a national survey of university hospitals, however, we found that the current nurse to patient ratio is 1: 2.47 in German intensive care units. The apparent staffing shortage is compensated by an extraordinary personal commitment of nurses caring for patients in the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kochanek
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Böll
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimabukuro-Vornhagen
authors.affiliation: Klinik III für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.affiliation: Pflegedienstleitung Intensivstationen der Uniklinik Köln.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Barbara
authors.affiliation: Zentrale Krankenhaushygiene der Uniklinik Köln.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hallek
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fätkenheuer
authors.affiliation: Klinik I für Innere Medizin, Klinikum der Universität zu Köln.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Bergwelt-Baildon
mesh_terms: D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene / Q000592:standards*; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*