Workload in a hospital inpatient unit using the nursing activities score

Abstract

Background: High workload can be associated with patient acuity and long hospital stay, often calling for semi-intensive nursing care. Objective: To assess the workload of a nursing team of a hospital inpatient unit using the Nursing Activities Score (NAS). Methodology: An exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted with patients admitted to a hospital inpatient unit. The sample was characterized using sociodemographic and clinical data, and the NAS was used to collect data from documented nursing records. Results: The mean NAS score was 43.2, ranging from 59.0 to 54.1 for the first day and the last day of hospitalization, respectively, which is the average nursing care time. Patients who died and those who showed a positive culture for multidrug-resistant bacteria had higher mean NAS scores on the last day. Conclusion: The nursing workload is high, evidenced by the high demand for care.