US3859511A - Planning tool for developing the staffing requirements of a service work force - Google Patents

Abstract

A tool and method for developing the staffing requirements of a service work force which provides patient care. The tool is used to ascertain the number of persons required to give each component of care, such as nurses, practical nurses, and nurse''s aides. The tool includes at least two indicators mounted for movement with respect to each other. One of the indicators has a selector scale calibrated in a spaced graduated series of indicia representing the total number of patients or other task unit services by the work force. At least three other scales are formed on the other of the indicators. Each of the other scales comprising a series of indicia represent fractions of man hours or fractions of personnel required for each in a cumulative total number of task unit services by the work force. Movement of one indicator relative to the other of the indicators displays information which indicates the total number of man hours required for each of at least three different categories of workers for the total number of task units requiring service. According to a further feature, one of the indicators includes a plurality of scales which may be selected by separating, inverting, or reversing pieces.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Walker Jan. 7, 1975 PLANNING TOOL FOR DEVELOPING THE [57] ABSTRACT STAFFING REQUIREMENTS OF A SERVICE A tool and method for developing the staffing require- WORK FORCE ments of a service work force which provides patient [75] Inventor: Maurice J. Walker, Lincolnshire, lll. care The.tool ls l to ascertam the number of sons required to give each component of care, such as Asslgneel Walker Associates, nurses, practical nurses, and nurses aides. The tool Nol'thbl'ook, includes at least two indicators mounted for movement with respect to each other. One of the indicators [22] Flled' Sept' 1973 has a selector scale calibrated in a spaced graduated [21] Appl. No.2 394, 56 series of indicia representing the total number of patients or other task unit services by the work force. At 52 US. Cl. 235/85 R, 235/89 R l g three E f k f fl of [51] Int. Cl G06c 3/00 In ac 0 t e er Sea es compnsmg a seines [58] Field of Search 235/85 R, 89 R, 70 A; g f hours R R 37, E, 75 0 peISOnne l'tiquile 9r 680 In a CUmLl atlve tota 24 A number of task umt serv1ce s by the work force. Movement of one md1cator relative to the other of the indi- [561 3112129212231211 5123,1380721181 222:12:21 UNITED STATES PATENTS three different categories of workers for the total Blcknell R number of task units requiring ervice According to a gf 2 further feature, one of the indicators includes a pluralmcen 2,553,915 5/1951 Grant et al..... 235/85 R Scales y be Selected by Separatmg 3,747,847 7/1973 Cohen 235/85 R reversmg Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky 4tt0rney, Agent, or FirmAlter, Weiss, Whitesel & Laff 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures /g PATIENT CARE STATION SHIFT NUMBER OF PAT] ENTS CAT E 550W PLANNINIGEZTIOOQL FORDEVELOPING THE STAFFING REQUIREMENTS or A SERVICE;

woRK FORCE I BACKGROUND OF'THE INVENTION A example o aworkforce likely to use the inventivetobliand method' is'found in a modern hospital. The -patients are constantlychanging, and their care needs change also. For example, onv any given hospital floor,

, the patients one dayforfshift may require certain bal- -f anceofskill levels inthe nursing staff which is totally different than the; balance' of skill levels required by different patients on the samefloor'on a-,different day or" l-Ieretofore the scheduling of a balanced. work force has tended to depend uponithejudgment' of someone I having many years of experience. This-means that high salaried peoplemustdivert their attention to adminisi j trative tasks, that theiraccumulated experience is lost when they depart, that too much depends upon their.

" intuitive suppositions, and that the' res ultant health care is as. good as and no better than such intuition; v Moreover, it is not even-clear that the person scheduling thework force is using the proper criteria forsej lecting the stafffor any given day. The patient care proi igramincludes the four interrelated activities of patient classification, skill level determination, activity analysis. or scheduling-and staffing. Traditionally, the nursebelieves thatpatient caremeans the treatment given patients to render aid or' assistance. However, a true pa ;v

. tors, each institution requires a unique amount of time to perform each ofits activities. Thus, the third phase of the patient care program begins with an analysis of all institutional activities, to improve its methods and systems. Systematic analysis of work flow, procedures,

- and work planning are combined with patient care standard data to determineappropriate amounts of time, and therefore staff, for each level of patient care.

Although this standard data'is predetermined from studies in health care facilities combined with time I measurement methods, it is carefully modified to fit existing conditions.

After these process steps have been completed, the

administration consults the inventive tool, selects tie nt-carefunctions.

tient care program should-mean the amount of care required torender the 'best possible service to each patient, Thus, the, basic scheduling should be built around the anticipated timerequiredby. each patient and by the skill level of each person f urni 'shing health care or service to each patient. Y 1

- from a highly skilled nurse. The first step in such process comprises a classification of patientsac'cording to the different amounts of e achgcatego'ry of'care that each patient requires. Thepatient care program-also requires the establishment of well-definedcategories of patient-related activities, consistent with the hospitals or nursing homes'policies-and desires. Usually there-1 are three to five categories of care, ranging'from ambulatory to intensive. The critical point in the selection of categories is not the degree of. illness, but the amount of care required.

The second step in the inventive process is a .workers skill, level determination since a registered nurse is not required to perform all tasks for all patientsfPreferably, the nursing personnel and administrative staff members determine the lowest skill level (registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse 5 aide, or orderly) required to perform each activity of patient care. Perhaps as many as two to 300 different tasks are categorized, considering both state requirements and the. in-

comprises at least two indicators mounted for move- .mentwith respect to each other. One of the indicators "has a's elector scale calibrated toindicate the total number of patients or. other task units services by the work force. At least threeotherscales are provided on the other of said indicatorsfor representing the fractions of man hours'required for a, cumulative total number of j I of the indicatorsfor displaying information correlated to a position onthe selector scale. The information so displayed. oneach of the other scales indicates the total number of man hours required for each of at least three differen t'categories of workers for the total number of task units requiring service. I v DESCRIPTIQNOF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l-is'a plan view showing the indicator 'tool in a zero position! I -FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the inventive slide chart indicator tool in an operatedcondition; and FIG. 3 is a plan view (partiallybroken away' to show both sides) of a single slide graph unit usedin FIGS. I and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT e The slide chart indicator tool' means comprises at v lea st two' ' indicators 20, 21 which are mounted for Imovement with respect to'each other. As here shown,

stitutions policies. This determination is desirable to indicator 20 is an outer wrapper or jacket, and indicator.2l is an internal slidegraph, including three slide units of the type seen in FIG. 3. The indicator 20 has a-plurality of windows 22, 23, 24, cut or otherwise formed in an outer wrapper or envelope-The other in-v dicator 21 is a 'slidingmember having a plurality of in-v dependent slide graph units, .each with a plurality of scales longitudinally printedthereon. The various windows,"scales, indicators, and information are interrelated so that, as theisliding member 21 is positioned,

*parallel, discrete items of information are displayed at .each of three windows 22,23, 24 in member 20.

inventive slide chart .cia representing a total number of patients or other task pointer 27 iprinted on the sliding member 21. As member 21 is'pulled, the arrow points toward the number of patients or task units in a given area of a hospital or other center. Adjacent the window 26 is the descriptive notation number of patients" anda category notation. The category may be anything convenient to the hospital or health care centerQ For example, the category could be childrens ward, maternity ward, cardiac ward, intensive, or the like.

.The inner .slide graph 21 is preferably assembled from a number of discrete slide graph units, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. More particularly, each slide graph unit 30 comprises an elongated board having a length L correspondingto the length L of the outer 'wrapper 20, and a width W corresponding to one-third of the distance D defined by two side guides, preferably held in place within the wrapper by means of any suitable number of rivets 32. One of the side guides is cross hatched at 31, for easy identification. Each slide graph unit (preferably'plastic or heavy cardboard) occupies sufficient physical space within the wrapper so that the three slide graph units slide and function as a single unit.

As seen in FIG. 3, each slide graph unit has two scales on each side, with one scale beginning oneach end of the unit. Thus, for example, by rotating FIG. 3 through 90 in a counterclockwise direction, scale 0.00] is seen extending from 0.001 upwardly to correspond to the left-hand scale in FIGS. 1 and 2. If this slide graph unit ,30 is flipped over while in this counterclockwise position, the 0.003 scale is seen to begin at 0.003, as indicated by a broken away section 33 of the outer wrapper and by the scale 34, which has been lettered beside the slide graph unit. If FIG..3 is next returned to normal (as seen with the drawing in its upright position) and then rotated by 90 in a clockwise direction, a 0.002 scale is seen as beginning with the number 0.002. If the slide also beprovided, such asdoctors, orderlies, and the like.

Initially, time, motion,'patient care needs, mix of pa tients, hospital policy, etc. are studied to determine how much time each class of worker must devote to each category of patient. Frornthese studies standards are generated on a per patient basis in a suitable time scale (such as the closest tenths, hundredths, or thousandths of an hour, for example). From these stan-,

'dards, achart of tables is prepared in the form of col- For convenience of expression, the figures in the first graph unit 30 is flipped over while in this clockwise position, the 0.004 scale is seen to begin at 0.004 as indicated by'a broken-away'section 35, and by the scale 36 which has been lettered besidethe slide graph unit.

The pointer at 38 refersto the position of the 0.001 scale if the slide graphunit 30 is used in the center position 39 of the sliding unit 21. Likewise, the pointers 39, 40 and 41 refer to the 0.002, 0.003 and 0.004 scales, respectively, if they are in the center position 39. All of the slide graph units areslid out and simultaneously aligned to match the position of the center unit, as indicated on scale 25' by'a pointer, such as 27. Upon reflection, it should be apparent that the three slide graph units shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 provide an optional selection of any three of twelve different scales and that any selected scale may appear before any of the windows 22-24. A still greater selection of scales maybe-provided by the use of additional slide graph units. The inner slide graph 21 thus includes columns of figures providing at least three scales, here indicating classes of workers such as registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), and'nurses aides (NA). However, any other or additional classes of workers may row (seen in windows 22-24, FIG. 1) may be described as a basic time module. The number in each succeeding row in the columns is the basic time module increased by one multiple. Thus, for example, the column in window 24, having the basic time module 0.008 is the number group or series 0.008, 0.0l6, 0.024 etc. The'center column having the basic time module 0.03 is the number group 0.03, 0.06, 0.09 etc. Hence, it should be apparent, if the indicator 27 is raised to, say four patients, the number then displayed in window 22 is four times the basic time module number that would be then displayed if the indicator 27 points to I. Likewise, similar displays appear at each of the other windows. g

From the time studies, there is a basic time module for each category of service and for each class of worker giving such service to each task unit (a single patient being one task unit in this case). For example, FIG. 1 has been drawn to show that each patient requires one-thousandth of a registered nurse s time each hour;'therefore, the basic time module is 0.00l for registered nurses (RN). Each patient requires three-onehund'redth of a licensed practical nurses hour and eight one-thousandths of a nurses aides hours. Thus, the basic time modules for these workers are 0.03 and 0.008, respectively. From FIG. 2, it is seen that the hospital personnel are assigned so that nine patients in this particular category are served by 0.009 registered nurses, 0.27 licensed practical nurses, and 0.072 nurses aides. If the shifts are 8 hours, these figures are multiplied by 8 so that during oneshift, 0072 hours of a registered nurses time, 2.16 hours of a practical nurses time, and '0.576"hours of a nurses aides time are required.

Of course, other patients assigned to the same nurse s station will have other patient care requirements. Thus, for example, one station might have say, four different categories'and therefore four different planning tools, each being similar to that shown in FIGS. 1, 2, except that different basic time modules are used to make the workforce assignments. The man hours might then be such that by adding the figures appearing in windows 22, 23, 24 of four different planningtools, it is found that two nurses, three licensed practical nurses, and three nurses aides are required.

Scheduling staff requirements vary from shift to shift and unit to unit, on a day-by-day basis dependent upon the number and classification of patients or task units.

Therefore, at the end of each shift,all patients or task units are classified, in accordance with a patient classification chart, for the next shift. During the change of shift, the classification is reviewed and adjusted, as necessary. Accordingly, adjustments to the unit staff are made and duties are assigned. The staff ng data is reviewed by the floor supervisor or nursing director and collected into a report that is presented weekly to the hospital administration who compares the actual staff with the theoretical staff, that is, the staff required to perform the degree of patient care desired by the institution.

Thus, the inventive patient care or other staff scheduling program is a very successful means of reducing the cost of giving services while improving the care actually given to patients.

The foregoing has described the task units in terms of hospital patients, the basic time module in terms of man hours, and the class of workers in terms of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurses aides. However, the invention is not necessarily limited to these particular criteria. instead, similar work forces may be developed for other assignments, as well. Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to include all equivalents falling within the true scope and spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A tool for developing and staffing a service work force with the required amount of personnel comprismg:

a frame having at least two surfaces;

a series of information display windows, laterally aligned in said frame;

index window means longitudinally disposed in said frame and having a selector scale adjacent thereto calibrated into a graduated series of indicia repre senting the total number of task units serviced by said work force;

a plurality of separate slide means equal to the number of said display windows;

said slide means adapted to be slidably disposed in said frame;

each of said slide means comprising a plurality of series of indicia representing scales in terms of fractions of man hours required for a given class of worker to serve in a total number of task units serviced by said work force, the relative lengths of each series of indicia being correlated relative to each other;

each of said slide means additionally comprising an identifying proportion factor representing the basic time module of work which a worker must devote to each category of work, whereby the position of each slide in said frame is determined from time studies directed at ascertaining the basic unit of time required to perform a pre-selected task;

said slides having a physical relationship to said index window means whereby any one of said plurality of series of indicia may be displayed in said window means responsive to interchanging, reversing, and inverting the positions of said slides in accordance with said proper identifying proportion factor;

selector means on each of said slides for positioning each said slide relative to said frame by selecting the total number of task units on said selector scale regardless of the interchanged, reversed, or inverted position of said slide;

whereby alignment of said slides relative to each other indicates in said display windows the total number of man hours required for each of the different categories of work required.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein each task unit comprises a health care patient of a particular category and each graduation on said selector scale indicates a eumulative total number of patients served by said work force.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein each of the other scales is a number group beginning with said basic time module, and a graduation in the scale comprises a multiple of said basic time module, said relative scale lengths being such that the cumulative total number corresponds to the multiple of the number displayed.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said other scales contain information relating to the numbers of man hours per task unit required for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurses aids, respectively.

5. The tool of claim 3 wherein said selector scale is carried by an outer wrapper and the other separate slides interchangeably fit side by side within said outer wrapper to carry a slide graph inside said outer wrapper, and windows in said outer wrapper for displaying information from the scales on said side graph.

Claims (5)

1. A tool for developing and staffing a service work force with the required amount of personnel comprising: a frame having at least two surfaces; a series of information display windows, laterally aligned in said frame; index window means longitudinally disposed in said frame and having a selector scale adjacent thereto calibrated into a graduated series of indicia representing the total number of task units serviced by said work force; a plurality of separate slide means equal to the number of said display windows; said slide means adapted to be slidably disposed in said frame; each of said slide means comprising a plurality of series of indicia representing scales in terms of fractions of man hours required for a given class of worker to serve in a total number of task units serviced by said work force, the relative lengths of each series of indicia being correlated relative to each other; each of said slide means additionally comprising an identifying proportion factor representing the basic time module of work which a worker must devote to each category of work, whereby the position of each slide in said frame is determined from time studies directed at ascertaining the basic unit of time required to perform a pre-selected task; said slides having a physical relationship to said index window means whereby any one of said plurality of series of indicia may be displayed in said window means responsive to interchanging, reversing, and inverting the positions of said slides in accordance with said proper identifying proportion factor; selector means on each of said slides for positioning each said slide relative to said frame by selecting the total number of task units on said selector scale regardless of the interchanged, reversed, or inverted position of said slide; whereby alignment of said slides relative to each other indicates in said display windows the total number of man hours required for each of the different categories of work required.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein each task unit comprises a health care patient of a particular category and each graduation on said selector scale indicates a cumulative total number of patients served by said work force.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein each of the other scales is a number group beginning with said basic time module, and a graduation in the scale comprises a multiple of said basic time module, said relative scale lengths being such that the cumulative total number corresponds to the multiple of the number displayed.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein said other scales contain information relating to the numbers of man hours per task unit required for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nurse''s aids, respectively.

5. The tool of claim 3 wherein said selector scale is carried by an outer wrapper and the other separate slides interchangeably fit side by side within said outer wrapper to carry a slide graph inside said outer wrapper, and windows in said outer wrapper for displaying information from the scales on said side graph.

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