Dear Cristobel,

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In every shift，as nurses，we have to decide wich patients we will care in order to have balanced workloads for every nurse. 

Yes, but what does it mean in your context? How do you think a scale works to decide who is working with whom? I am not sure I understand? I have worked in Scandinavia in hospitals a very very long time ago. - You could do your own scale by giving e.g. 7 points to a patient that needs constant attention, 4 to that that does not need so much....and so on 1 to those who just need supervision during a shift. Then you decide that every nurse has to have e.g. 15  points during every shift?

Thanks Beatrice! Let me try to me be more specific. In my context we are 3 ICU nurses for 8 patients. Generally，the outgoing shift gives an advice about patient distribution with a low accuracy related to the final workload assumed by each nurse at the beginning. Of course we can do a scale, but i`m looking if there is already one.

Cristobal, check this acuity measurement tool out to see if it fits your needs: http://www.americannursetoday.com/assets/0/434/436/440/11262/11264/11282/11336/1c4f8669-cd2d-4ba7-9bb7-09b99f59fdd2.pdf

According to my understanding the information you give the next shift has to be very thorough and informative and based on that the patients should be divided between the nurses. However you are perhaps not equally skilful on each problem so perhaps individual talents could count.

I think about NAS is good way to assign the care of the patients in your unit. You can use the weigt of NAS calculated in the previous shift

Dear Cristobell,

I have developed an acuity tool that is evidence based, simple to use and completely customisable. It can assign patients depending on acuity and staff competancy. I am more thn happy to share it with you if you would like. If you would like i will send it via an email address.

pls share

Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay Andrew, of course i would like to know the scale, please send it to: [email protected]

Thanks!

Dear Christobell,

Best practical method :

                                            Intubated, hemodynamically unstable, sedated, multiple organ dependent patient  will need care in terms of    1:1 Nurse Patient ratio

                                           Not intubated, but  hemodynamically unstable or one organ system dependent  patient will require care in terms 1:2 Nurse Patient ratio ,   

                                          Not intubated, hemodynamically stable, high risk ( In ICU only for monitoring or has comorbidities) will require care in terms of 1: 3 Nurse Patient ratio.

Hope this works for you.    

Sheela Durai    

Dear Andrew,

i would also like to get that information from you. My email ID is [email protected].

Sheela Durai