Work analysis and load of the nurses in pediatry intense care unit

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the workload of the nurses working in the Pediatric Intense Care Unit scientifically to create their work definitions and requirements to present required personnel numbers by workload calculations. Samples of this study are 7 nurses who worked in the Pediatric Intense Care unit. Study data are obtained between the 1st of August 2020 and the 30st of September 2020 by interview, survey, and document inspection methods. In the scope of this study, 7 nurses who constituted the Pediatric Intense Care team are observed by the researcher whilst they were performing their routine work. Their performed activities were identified, and their work completion times are measured by chronometer. After the observation, interview, survey, and document inspection methods, work analysis of the nurses had been made, and their work definitions and requirements had been established. It was determined that nurses devote 72,55% time to direct patient care activities, 10,04% to indirect patient care activities, 5,11% to activities related to service order and functioning, and 12,3% to physiological needs and personal care activities. Service outputs of 2019 for the Pediatric Intense Care unit were obtained after consulting to hospital's statistics unit. To determine the workload of the nurses "Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN)" developed by the World Health Organization has been used. By applying the WISN method to service outputs of 2019, the nurse need of the Pediatric Intense Care Unit for 2020 has been determined. WISN rate has been calculated as 99% for the Pediatric Intense Care Unit. According to this, the result of "Pediatric Intense Care Unit has met their nurse need by 99% rate which means that the number of the nurses is sufficient by 99% rate" has been reached. To define the human resources qualities and requirements for the health institutes and to reach a balanced human resources distribution, it is recommended to perform work studies and workload analyses by using scientific methods. Keywords: Job Analysis, Workload, Nurse, Pediatrics Intensive Care Unit, WISN Method