Determining nursing staffing levels for stroke beds in Scotland.

Rowat, Anne M; Chalmers, Campbell; Rennie, Dianne

Abstract

Background: National guidelines suggest that at the very least there should be one whole time equivalent (WTE) nurse per stroke bed with a skill mix ratio of two registered nurses to one unregistered nurse. The aim of this study was determine nursing staff levels in stroke units in Scotland.
Methods: Questionnaires asking for information on staffing levels and skill mix were sent to 46 stroke units throughout Scotland.
Results: On average there were 1.1 whole time equivalent (WTE) nurses for each stroke bed. Only 3 NHS Boards had a skill mix ratio of registered and unregistered nurses of at least 2:1
Conclusion: These data describe typical nurse staffing levels and skill mix ratio for stroke units in Scotland and will serve as a benchmark for future audits and research studies of stroke unit care

Citation

Rowat, A. M., Chalmers, C., & Rennie, D. (2007, December). Determining nursing staffing levels for stroke beds in Scotland. Paper presented at Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum
• Deposit Date: Mar 12, 2012
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: Stroke; nursing levels; skills
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/5075
• Publisher URL: http://www.chss.org.uk/pdf/links/ssnf/SSNF_amr_update.pdf