Organisation design in a nursing department: a quantitative and work sampling perspective

The shortage of qualified health personnel in many countries is widely reported. This could get worse with increase in the demand for personalised medical care. This paper determines the optimal number of nursing personnel required at terminal (TM) and decision (DS) positions in a teaching hospital for efficient utilisation. The standard man-hour (SMH) available was computed for TM and DS positions using work sampling. A personnel utilisation model was adapted. The annual work content for TM position in the nursing department was 65,535.01 SMH. The size of the department was reduced from 89 to 56 nurses; hence, the unit can effectively discharge its duties with 43, 9, 3 and 1 personnel at operations, nursing sisters, matrons, and chief nursing officer positions, respectively. Personnel utilisation in the department was 94.73%. Thus, both work sampling and quantitative approaches in nursing workforce management appear effective in operational costs minimisation.