Neonatal nursing team workload and its relationship with patient characteristics

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the nursing workload at a neonatal unit and to correlate it to patient clinical characteristics. Method: this descriptive, cross-sectional study applied the Nursing Activities Score to assess nursing workload at a neonatal unit of a public teaching hospital. Patients included were those hospitalized for at least 24 hours over 60-day period. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: the sample comprised 115 patients, yielding a total of 1944 measurements. The average Nursing Activities Score at the unit was 73%, an average of 74% for intensive care beds and 64% for semi-intensive ones. Conclusion: high workload was identified at the unit, averaging 17.5 hours of care every 24 hours for each newborn, which can impact the safety of care. Birth weight and gestational age may entail increased workload for nursing staff.