En kartläggning av antal patienter per omvårdnadspersonal och skill mix vid svenska mellanstora akutmottagningar

Sammanfattning: Background: The number of patients per nursing staff and skill mix (the percentage of registered nurse) among nursing staff have an impact on the working environment, effects quality of care and patient safety. Aim: The aim of this study was to map the number of patients per nursing staff during a 24-hour period and to describe skill mix among nursing staff at emergency departments in medium-sized hospitals in Sweden. Method: This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Thirty medium-sized Swedish emergency departments participated in this study. Result: The number of patients per registered nurse varied between 0,0-11,0 patients (mean=3,3) during a 24-hour period. The number of patients per licensed practical nurse varied between 0,0-17,2 (mean=4,7). The average skill mix was 58,1% registered nurses and 41,9% licensed practical nurses for 24 hours. Conclusion: The staffing of nurses does not follow the patient flow, which results in a higher number of patients per nursing staff between 11:00 am and 11:59 pm. Further studies are needed to optimize the staffing of nurses, which can lead to an improved working environment for nurses, an improved quality of care and an increased patient safety.