Nurse-sensitive measures are the term used to access the staffing level in the field of nursing. The term basically means the processes and outcomes that are provided, influenced, and affected by nursing personnel. Patient outcome is a result of several factors and does not solely rely on the nursing expertise. However, some outcomes reflect the difference in the quality of nursing care that a patient receives from a nurse. It is due to this reason that the concept of Nurse-sensitive measures can determine staffing level in the nursing profession.
States in the U.S. have different state regulations regarding minimum staffing levels. For instance, the state of California and Illinois have different HPRD requirements for the nurses that work in these areas. (Fitzpatrick, 2020). RN nurses in the state of California can work for 24 hours, but RN nurses in the state of Los Angles cannot work for 24 hours (Fitzpatrick, 2020). Nurses in the state of Alaska and Arizona follow federal guidelines in their practice, while those working in the state of California and Florida do not follow federal guidelines.
The role of the RN nurse is basically to record the symptoms of a patient before addition in the hospital. The nurse makes a follow-up of any changes in the patient’s health during their time in the hospital. The LPN nurses have a similar role to the RN nurses as they monitor the health status of a patient and record this information so that the doctor can use it in treating the patient. The CAN nurses, on the other hand, use their pharmaceutical knowledge in gathering medical supplies for patients in every addition wardroom. The CMA nurse can perform physical body therapy on the patient, which may include checking vital signs and physical strength of a patient. I served as the RN nurse in ICU unit. My unit had a 2:1 nurse to patient ratio. The unit had two emergency doctors and one other nurse who was an LPN nurse. As nurses, our major role was to monitor the health of the patient and gather medical supplies that the patient may require.
Reference
Fitzpatrick, M. (2020). Nursing home staffing requirements. Office of Legislative Research.