Purpose To explore the relationship between nursing care needs and acuity based on the Korean Patient Classification System for Critical Care Nurses (KPCSC) and APACHE II, and to identify their prognostic value in predicting mortality. Methods A total of 617 patients admitted to a surgical intensive care unit in a tertiary hospital from January 1 to June 30, 2021 were included. The correlation between KPCSC and APACHE II scores, and their predictive power regarding mortality were examined. Results KPCSC and APACHE II scores showed a significant, positive correlation (r=.32, p<.001). The KPCSC score was significantly correlated with 10 out of 11 KPCSC categories and 2 out of 3 APACHE II domains, whereas the APACHE II score had a significant correlation with all APACHE II domains and only 4 out of 11 KPCSC categories. Both KPCSC and APACHE II demonstrated moderate discriminatory performance in predicting ICU and in-hospital death, and their AUC values were not significantly different. Conclusion KPCSC, reflecting the severity of illness, predicted mortality as well as APACHE II. However, KPCSC was found to consider factors other than severity, such as patient dependency, which substantiates its value as an assessment tool for nursing care needs.
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Purpose To develop a web-based solution for patient need-driven staffing (PNDS) that automatically determines nurses’ staffing requirements.
Methods: Activities provided by nurses in four integrated nursing care wards (INCWs) and non-INCWs each in a tertiary hospital were observed over three days. Nursing hours per patient hour (NHPPH) were calculated by dividing nursing hours by patient stay hours per day. Patient needs were evaluated using 19 items.
Results: The nurse-patient ratios in INCWs and non-INCWs were 1:4.5 and 1:8.1 (including overtime), respectively. Admitted and transferred-in patients had higher NHPPHs than those with continuing stays. The patients were classified into five groups: Group A for admissions and transfers-in, and Groups 1~4 for the remainder. In INCWs, the nurse-patient ratios ranged from 1:5.3 (Group 1) to 1:2.4 (Group 4), and Group A required 1:3.0, the secondhighest level. In non-INCWs, ratios ranged from 1:9.4 (Group 1) to 1:5.2 (Group 4 and Group A). The PNDS solution was developed to determine staffing requirements by classifying patients into five groups using the entered data on patient needs, assigning the group’s NHPPH to each patient, and calculating the staffing ratio required in the unit.
Conclusion: The PNDS is expected to support staffing decisions to meet patient needs.
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