Beyond patient classification: the "hidden" face of nursing workload

• Published in: Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P Vol. 56; p. e20210533
• Main Authors: de Oliveira, João Lucas Campos, Fabiana Cucolo, Danielle, de Magalhães, Ana Maria Müller, Galan Perroca, Marcia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem 2022
• Subjects: Humans; NURSING; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; Workforce; Workload; Personal de Enfermería en Hospital; Personnel Downsizing; Hospital Administration; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Evaluación en Enfermería; Reducción de Personal; Recursos Humanos de Enfermagem no Hospital; Workload; Dimensionamento de Pessoal; Gestão Hospitalar; Avaliação em Enfermagem; Carga de Trabajo; Carga de Trabalho; Administración Hospitalaria; Nursing Assessment
• ISSN: 0080-6234; 1980-220X; 1980-220X
• DOI: 10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2021-0533en

This is a theoretical-reflective essay, which aimed to reflect on the centralization of Patient Classification Systems in workload and hospital nursing staff sizing. The reflexive interpretations were guided by two axes: Patient Classification Systems : constitution and utilities; and "Hidden" nursing activities in workload measurement. The first evidences the importance and the role of these instruments in workload identification and in hospital nursing staff sizing, exemplifying several possibilities to be used by nurses. On the other hand, with the second axis, it is clear that there are many nursing activities that are not sensitive to the application (even if systematic) of these means of patient assessment. Therefore, nursing workload measurement may be underestimated. It was inferred that the complexity of practice environments requires a macro and micro institutional look at the nursing workload measurement, especially when considered for workforce planning/sizing purposes.