title: A discrete event simulation tool to support and predict hospital and clinic staffing.
abstract: We demonstrate how to develop a simulation tool to help healthcare managers and administrators predict and plan for staffing needs in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit using administrative data. We developed a discrete event simulation model of nursing staff needed in a neonatal intensive care unit and then validated the model against historical data. The process flow was translated into a discrete event simulation model. Results demonstrated that the model can be used to give a respectable estimate of annual admissions, transfers, and deaths based upon two different staffing levels. The discrete event simulation tool model can provide healthcare managers and administrators with (1) a valid method of modeling patient mix, patient acuity, staffing needs, and costs in the present state and (2) a forecast of how changes in a unit's staffing, referral patterns, or patient mix would affect a unit in a future state.
authors.affiliation: Mission Health System, USA.|Duke University Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: DeRienzo
authors.affiliation: Duke University School of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meanor
authors.affiliation: SAS, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lada
authors.affiliation: Duke University Hospital, USA.|Duke Health Technology Solutions, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ferranti
authors.affiliation: Duke University Hospital, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation / Q000592:standards*; D006761:Hospitals / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000458:organization & administration; D009657:North Carolina; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D012985:Software Design; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: decision-support systems; forecasting; management; simulation tool