Reliability, Validity, and Conversion Index of the Workload Management System for Critical Care Nurses(WMSCN)

중환자 분류도구(WMSCN)의 신뢰도, 타당도 및 환산지수 검증

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to establish reliability and validity and to identify the conversion index. Method: The WMSCN for ICU was revised from Workload Management System for Nurses(WMSN) of Walter Reed Army Hospital. Reliability of the WMSCN was evaluated interrater reliability between head nurses and staff nurses at 124 patients in April 2008. Validity through the correlation between direct nursing care hours and WMSCN score was conducted at 20 ICUs of 10 hospitals. Finally the conversion index was identified by total nursing hours and it divided by WMSCN score. Results: The scores by nurses were highly correlated with head nurses’(p=.967), and also scores of the WMSCN were highly correlated with the direct nursing care hours(p<.001). The distribution of patient classification ranks into class V(61.3%), class IV(24.2%) and class VI(11.3%). The scores of the WMSCN were no differences between MICU and SICU. Finally, the conversion index was 8.2 minutes. Conclusion: WMSCN is available to classify the nursing workload for critical care patients. The repeated evaluation of validity and reliability are requisite to use WMSCN effectively. And the conversion index should be adjusted to estimate the appropriate staffing in Korea.