Planning of nurse manpower required for hospital emergency unit: Example of a public education research hospital

This study was carried out in a descriptive design to determine the number of nurse manpower that should be involved in patient care by calculating the nurse workload in the emergency unit in a public training and research hospital sample. The study was conducted in two stages to measure nurse workload. In the first stage, a job analysis questionnaire was applied to 84 nurses working in the emergency department. In the second stage, 64 nurses from the same group (19 nurses in the green area, 26 nurses in the yellow area and 19 nurses in the red area) were observed through direct observation and the type and duration of their activities were recorded. Excel and SPSS 24 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) software were used for data analysis. The study data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, median, frequency, percentage, minimum, maximum). Pearson chi-square test and Fisher-Freeman-Halton test were used to compare survey data. According to the results of the job analysis questionnaire obtained from 84 nurses in the emergency department, it was determined that there were 22 types of daily, 4 types of weekly and 10 types of periodic nursing activities. According to the data obtained through direct observation, it was determined that 48 types of nursing activities were performed in the green area, 93 in the yellow area, 106 in the red area and 39 in the intervention room. These nursing activities were grouped as direct patient care interventions, indirect patient care interventions, service work and personal work, after taking expert opinion. As a result of the workload analysis, the daily nurse workload was found to be 96 hours in the green area, 192 hours in the yellow area, 120 hours in the red area, and 48 hours in the intervention room. According to the calculations; 8 nurses for 24 hours in the green area, 20 nurses in total, 16 nurses for 24 hours in the yellow area, 40 nurses in total, 10 nurses for 24 hours in the red area, 25 nurses in total, 4 nurses for 24 hours in the intervention room, 10 nurses in total and the emergency unit It was determined that there was a daily requirement of 38 nurses and a total of 95 nurses.