Staffing Principles from the Organization’s Perspective
Research reveals that organizational policies play an important role in nurse staffing. Policies should:
- Create a culture that values RNs as strategic assets, commits to filling budgeted positions timely and shows concern for employees’ needs and interests.
- Ensure that nurses’ competencies are documented, including non-permanent hires, for activities they are authorized to perform.
- Require cross-training of staff to ensure competency when nurses float between units.
- Provide RNs opportunities for input into decisions that affect them, and preparation, resources and information needed to participate.
- Eliminate disincentives to reporting near misses and errors.
Hospital Management Impact on Effectiveness of Staffing Plans
Organizational policies also should recognize needs of patients and nurses by providing:
- Effective and efficient support services, such as transport and laboratory, to limit distraction from patient care.
- Access to information linking clinical, administrative and outcome data.
- Sufficient orientation and preparation, including nurse preceptors and nurse experts, to ensure RN competency.
- Training in technology used in patient care.
- Time to collaborate with, and supervise, staff members.
- Support in ethical decision-making.
- Sufficient opportunity to plan care coordination and continuity of care, and to educate patients and families
- Sufficient time to coordinate and supervise unlicensed assistants.
- The right for staff to report unsafe conditions or inappropriate staffing without personal consequence.