• 간호행정학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.404-412
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• 2008

Purpose: To analyse hospital nurse staffing level of the general nursing unit, ICU, ER and OR in general hospitals. Method: The study sample was 105 acute general hospitals which had reported the bed size and number of nurses by the nursing units. Number of bed per nurse was analysed by the hospital characteristics and the staffing levels of the doctors and the nursing assistant personnels using t-test or ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Results: Number of bed per nurse was 3.86 in general nursing units and 0.95 in ICU. Tertiary hospitals employed more nurses in general nursing units and ICU than general hospitals. Hospitals located in Seoul and public hospitals employed more ICU nurses. OR nurse staffing level was higher in academic hospitals. Hospital size was positively correlated with nurse staffing level of the general nursing unit, ICU, ER and OR respectively. Total nurse staffing level of the hospital was positively correlated with doctor and nursing assistant personnels staffing levels. Conclusion : Differentiated nursing fee schedule was needed to implement in ER or OR. Regulation policy should be needed for the hospitals which violated hospital nurse staffing level of the law.

• 간호행정학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.10-21
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to identify determinants of registered nurse (RN) skill mix and staffing level focused on hospital characteristics. Methods: Data were obtained from health insurance claims data and hospital reporting system in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) for the year 2010. Data from 2,998 hospitals were analysed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. Results: The RN skill mix and staffing level were positively related to hospital size and the percentage of inpatients to total patients. RN skill mix and staffing level were statistically different across regions. Including nursing aides (NA), however, there was no difference in staffing levels across regions. Medically vulnerable regions, bed operation rate, and the number of patients per doctor were also related to RN skill mix and staffing level. Conclusion: The statically significant determinants of RN skill mix and staffing level included hospital size, region, bed operation rate, percentage of inpatients, doctor-patient ratio. Further study needs to be done to investigate factors including RN supply and wages.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.68-90
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• 2007

Nurse staffing level is an important factor that influences the quality of health service and patient outcomes. This study was carried out to examine the current state of acute hospital nurse staffing and find out factors that affect the nurse staffing level. Nurse staffing of individual hospitals was measured using the number of registered nurses per 100 beds. Descriptive and multiple regression analyses were conducted using 592 acute care hospitals' data. Regression model included structure factors such as referral level, ownership, medical and general staffing, and financial outcome factors such as occupancy rate, inpatient and outpatient revenues. Market characteristics included strength of competition, supply of nurses, and income and health status level of consumers. The average number of nurses per 100 beds was 28 and showed a great variation according to the referral level. Regression model explained this variation as much as 76.87%. Hospital structure variables which affecting the hospital nurse staffing level positively were ICU bed ratio, the staffing level of specialist, training doctor and employees except doctor and nursing personnel, while the negative factor was nurse aid staffing level. General hospitals employed more nurses than hospitals. Among outcome characteristics, occupancy rate and the amount of health insurance inpatient revenue affected positively on the hospital nurse staffing level. The more supply of the new nurse and the higher consumer income and health status in the medical service markets, the more nurses were employed by the medical institutes. According to the study result, hospitals employed more nurses when they had more financial incentive by increasing nurses. This means appropriate hospital incentive policy and regulation policy, which hospital violate nurse staffing level have to pay penality, should be needed. Clarifying job description between nurses and nurse aids and the reentry program for unemployed experienced nurses will be helpful to increase nurse staffing level.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제42권5호
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• pp.719-729
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to examine relationships between nurse staffing level and postsurgical patient outcomes using inpatient database from the National Health Insurance. Methods: Records of 111,491 patients who received one of 12 types of surgery between January and December, 2009 were identified and analyzed in this study. Nurse staffing level was measured using adjusted nurse staffing grades from 0 to 7. Patient outcomes were defined as in-hospital mortality, or pneumonia, sepsis, or urinary tract infection after surgery. Logistic regression analyses estimated by Generalized Estimation Model, were used to analyze the association between nurse staffing level and patient outcomes. Results: An inverse relationship was found between nurse staffing and patient mortality. Compared with patients who were cared for in hospitals with the highest nurse staffing (Grades 0-1), increases in the odds of dying were found in those with Grades 6-7 [OR (odds ratio)=2.99, 95% CI (confidence interval)=1.94-4.60], those with Grades 4-5 (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.24-2.57) and those with Grades 2-3 (OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.25-1.98). Lower nurse staffing level was also associated with higher number of cases in pneumonia and sepsis. Conclusion: Policies for providing adequate nurse staffing is required to enhance quality of care and lead to better perioperative patient outcomes.

• 재활간호학회지
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.62-69
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• 2011

Purpose: The study assessed whether nurse staffing was associated with 3 nursing sensitive outcomes used in intensive care unit (ICU) nursing care plans. Methods: This study was a retrospective and descriptive study using clinical data extracted from the data warehouse of a large acute care hospital in the Midwest. One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the records of 578 ICU patients admitted from March 25 to May 31, 2010. Results: 79 Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) outcomes were used in the nursing care plans. The 3 most commonly used NOC outcomes (Pain Level, Infection Severity, and Tissue Integrity: Skin and Mucous Membranes) were analyzed to determine their relationship to nurse staffing. As a nurse staffing ratio, the skill mix of nursing caregivers ranged from 0.74 to 1 with an average of 0.90. This skill mix of nursing caregivers significantly differed among the changes in Infection Severity scores. However, the mean difference was only 0.02. Conclusion: The results did not support that greater nurse staffing was associated with better outcomes. More research is still needed to determine the usefulness of Pain Level, Infection Severity, and Tissue Integrity: Skin and Mucous Membranes in evaluating the impact of nurse staffing.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.312-326
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• 2023

Purpose: This study attempted to analyze the staffing level and critical care nursing fees of intensive care units at tertiary and general hospitals and to provide a professional judgment-based recommendation on staffing level and critical care nursing fee schedules. Methods: Staffing grades and critical care nursing fee schedules for the first quarter of 2017~2020 and the fourth quarter of 2020~2022 were analyzed. A survey was conducted on nursing managers and nurses about the current and appropriate staffing levels. A total of 77 nurse managers and 708 nurses working in Intensive Care Unit(ICU)s at tertiary and general hospitals participated in the study. Results: Grade 1 staffing increased from 25.6% in 2017 to 92.1% in 2022 at tertiary hospitals and from 0.8% in 2017 to 28.4% in 2022 at general hospitals. The current staffing ratios of tertiary and general hospitals were 1:2.21 and 1:2.77, respectively. The appropriate staffing ratio according to nurse managers and nurses was 1:1.00 in patients with more than a ventilator application and 1:2.00 in patients without any ventilator application in tertiary hospitals, and it was 1:1.25 in patients with more than a ventilator application and 1:2.00 in patients without any ventilator application in general hospitals, respectively. Conclusion: The appropriate staffing level was suggested from 1:1.0 to 1:2.0. The new nursing fee schedules were suggested from 1:1.0 (Grade 1) to 1:3.0 (Grade 5) and recommended to be paid based on the staffing grade, minimum number of nurses, and standard annual working days. It is expected to increase staffing levels and provide a better nursing work environment.

• 간호행정학회지
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.147-159
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• 2000

This paper studied the factors that influence on RN staffing level in the 43 Specialized general hospitals. Market structure was analysed using the monopsony model. The degree of competition was estimated by Herfindal Index and market was defined as Great medical zone. As the result of the estimation, in the more competitive hospital market hospitals employed the higher level of RN staffing, so monopsony model was supported. Hospitals with above 1001bed employed more RN than hospitals with below 700bed did. Hospital type, hospital union and the number of medical doctor did not affect the level of RN staffing. There was positive correlation between the level of RN staffing and the number of nurse's aid. The structure of RN market in Specified general hospitals was proved monopsony market, it seems that government regulation will be needed to improve social efficiency and equity.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제19권3호
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• pp.321-332
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• 2013

Purpose: Korean health insurance extended application of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) payment system to tertiary and general hospitals from July, 2013. This study was done to develop a DRG fee adjustment mechanism applied to levels of nurse staffing to assure quality nursing service. Methods: Nurse stafffing grades among hospitals in Korea were analyzed. Differences and ratio of inpatient costs by nurse staffing grades in DRG fees and differences of DRG fee between tertiary and general hospitals were compared. Results: In 2013, nurse staffing grades in tertiary and general hospitals had improved, but other hospital nurse staffing grades remained at the 2001 level. Gaps of inpatient costs between first and seventh nurse staffing grades were over 10% in 4 out of 7 DRG diagnosis; However differences of DRG fee between tertiary and general hospitals were only 4.51% and 4.72% respectively. A DRG fee adjustment mechanism was developed that included nurse staffing grades and hospitalization days as factors of the formula. Conclusion: Current DRG fees motivate hospitals to decrease nurse staffing grades because cost reduction is bigger than compensation. This DRG fee adjustment mechanism reflects nurse staffing supply to motivate hospitals to hire more nurses as a reasonable compensation system.

• 대한간호학회지
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• 제44권1호
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• pp.21-30
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the impact of registered nurse/nurses' aid (RN/NA) staffing and turnover rate on inpatient health outcomes in long term care hospitals. Methods: A secondary analysis was done of national data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Services including evaluation of long term care hospitals in October-December 2010 and hospital general characteristics in July-September 2010. Final analysis of data from 610 hospitals included RN/NA staffing, turnover rate of nursing staff and 5 patient health outcome indicators. Results: Finding showed that, when variables of organization and community level were controlled, patients per RN was a significant indicator of decline in ADL for patients with dementia, and new pressure ulcer development in the high risk group and worsening of pressure ulcers. Patients per NA was a significant indicator for new pressure ulcer development in the low risk group. Turnover rate was not significant for any variable. Conclusion: To maintain and improve patient health outcomes of ADL and pressure ulcers, policies should be developed to increase the staffing level of RN. Studies are also needed to examine causal relation of NA staffing level, RN staffing level and patient health outcomes with consideration of the details of nursing practice.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.395-406
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze nurse staffing according to patients' acuity and dependency by measuring nursing hours. Methods: The study sample included patients who visited the adult emergency departments (EDs) of three tertiary referral hospitals and nurses who worked on shifts for 48 hours from October 24 to 26, 2019. Hourly patient census and nurse staffing were analyzed. Patient acuity was measured using the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), ranging from Level 1 (highest) to Level 5 (lowest). Patient dependency was measured using six items (e.g., clinical attention and communication) and classified into four groups. Nursing activities were observed every 10 minutes and nursing hours per patient and nurse staffing were analyzed according to acuity and dependency. Results: Nurse-to-patient ratio ranged from 1:1.8 to 1:4.2 during the 48 hours of observation. The average work hours of nurses, excluding breaks and meals, was 8.57 hours; 42.5% of which was spent providing direct care. Higher acuity and dependency were associated with higher nursing hours and staffing level. Patients with KTAS Level 1 were provided 74.3 minutes per hour, 5.02 times higher than Level 5 (14.8 minutes). Patients in the highest dependency group were provided 87.4 minutes per hour, 5.75 times higher than the lowest group (15.2 minutes). Newly arrived patients received more nursing hours than continuously stayed patients within the same KTAS Levels. Conclusion: Large variations were found in hourly patient census, acuity, and dependency. Nurse staffing in EDs should be determined based on patient acuity and dependency.