• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.35 no.8
• /
• pp.1493-1499
• /
• 2005

Background. Adequate staffing is necessary to meet patient care needs and provide safe, quality nursing care. In November 1999, the Korean government implemented a new staffing policy that differentiates nursing fees for inpatients based on nurse-to-bed ratios. The purpose was to prevent hospitals from delegating nursing care to family members of patients or paid caregivers, and ultimately deteriorating the quality of nursing care services. Purpose. To examine nurse staffing levels and related factors including hospital, nursing and medical staff, and financial characteristics. Methods. A cross-sectional design was employed using two administrative databases, Medical Care Institution Database and Medical Claims Data for May 1-31, 2002. Nurse staffing was graded from 1 to 6, based on grading criteria of nurse-to-bed ratios provided by the policy. The study sample consisted of 42 tertiary and 186 general acute care hospitals. Results. None of tertiary or general hospitals gained the highest nurse staffing of Grade 1 (i.e., less than 2 beds per nurse in tertiary hospitals; less than 2.5 beds per nurse in general hospitals). Two thirds of the general hospitals had the lowest staffing of Grade 6 (i.e., 4 or more beds per nurse in tertiary hospitals; 4.5 or more beds per nurse in general hospitals). Tertiary hospitals were better staffed than general hospitals, and private hospitals had higher staffing levels compared to public hospitals. Large-sized general hospitals located in metropolitan areas had higher staffing than other general hospitals. Occupancy rate was positively related to nurse staffing. A negative relationship between nursing assistant and nurse staffing was found in general hospitals. A greater number of physician specialists were associated with better nurse staffing. Conclusions. The staffing policy needs to be evaluated and modified to make it more effective in leading hospitals to increase nurse staffing.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.122-136
• /
• 2022

Purpose: This study attempted to recommend a revision of inpatient nursing fees based on analyzing current and appropriate staffing levels. Methods: Staffing grades and their inpatient nursing fees as of the first quarter of 2022 were analyzed. Nurse managers and staff nurses answered surveys about the current and appropriate staffing levels, working days, and monthly salary. A total of 101 nurse managers and 588 staff nurses working in general wards at tertiary hospitals and general hospitals participated in the study. Results: The results showed that grade 1 staffing was found in 73.3% of tertiary hospitals and 63.7% of general hospitals. The current staffing ratios of tertiary hospitals and general hospitals were 1:9.3 and 1:10.4, respectively. The appropriate staffing ratios according to nurse managers and staff nurses at tertiary hospitals were 1:7.6 and 1:7.0, respectively, and 1:8.7 and 1:8.8 in general hospitals, respectively. The average estimated annual working days of staff nurses were 235.2 days in tertiary hospitals and 240.0 days in general hospitals. The median monthly salary for staff nurses was 4.957 million won in tertiary hospitals and 4.140 million won in general hospitals. The new staffing grade system was suggested from 1:6 (Grade 1) to 1:12 (Grade 5). The new inpatient nursing fee schedules were recommended to be paid based on nursing hours per patient day of each grade. Conclusion: The new staffing grade and inpatient nursing fee schedules are expected to increase staffing levels, improve the quality of nursing care, and provide a better work environment for nurses.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.404-412
• /
• 2008

Purpose: To analyse hospital nurse staffing level of the general nursing unit, ICU, ER and OR in general hospitals. Method: The study sample was 105 acute general hospitals which had reported the bed size and number of nurses by the nursing units. Number of bed per nurse was analysed by the hospital characteristics and the staffing levels of the doctors and the nursing assistant personnels using t-test or ANOVA and Pearson's correlation. Results: Number of bed per nurse was 3.86 in general nursing units and 0.95 in ICU. Tertiary hospitals employed more nurses in general nursing units and ICU than general hospitals. Hospitals located in Seoul and public hospitals employed more ICU nurses. OR nurse staffing level was higher in academic hospitals. Hospital size was positively correlated with nurse staffing level of the general nursing unit, ICU, ER and OR respectively. Total nurse staffing level of the hospital was positively correlated with doctor and nursing assistant personnels staffing levels. Conclusion : Differentiated nursing fee schedule was needed to implement in ER or OR. Regulation policy should be needed for the hospitals which violated hospital nurse staffing level of the law.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.169-175
• /
• 2005

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the relationships of the types of nurse staffing, the competency of nursing performance and job satisfaction by analyzing the types of nurse staffing in operating room. Method: The subjects were 472 nurses who work in operating room. The instruments used in this study were three tools: competency of nursing performance, job satisfaction and type of nurse staffing. Result: Type 4 was most in the type of nurse staffing of the subjects. According to the type of nurse staffing, the competency of nursing performance was significantly different. There was significant difference in the competency of nursing performance according to age, marital status, bachelor, employ, position, and career, and job satisfaction according to age, position, and career. In opinion about the ideal type of nurse staffing, type 2 was most regardless of career. Conclusion: Type 4 which has lower competency of nursing performance was adopted in many hospitals now but, type 2 which has highest competency of nursing performance was selected by many nurses as the best one. So, it should be considered the type of nurse staffing of in operating room and change it.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.167-175
• /
• 2008

Purpose: To examine the changes in nurse staffing in hospitals after implementing the policy of differentiating inpatient nursing fees by staffing grades. Method: The study sample included 43 tertiary hospitals, 185 general hospitals, and 282 non-general hospitals that were operating in both 1999 and 2008. Nurse staffing grade was categorized from Grade 1 (highest) to 6 (lowest) in 1999 or Grade 7 in 2008, based on the nurse-to-bed ratio. Results: Tertiary hospitals at Grade 3 and Grade 4 accounted for 49% and 35%, respectively, in 2008, whereas 63% were Grade 6 in 1999. General hospitals at Grade 6 decreased from 87% to 48%. In non-general hospitals, little change was found in the staffing distribution, in that 92% still remained in Grade 6 or 7 in 2008. Forty tertiary hospitals (93%) and 45% of general hospitals improved their staffing grades, while only 7% of non-general hospitals did. Greater likelihood of improvement in staffing grades was found in general hospitals located in metropolitan areas or having 250 or more beds. Conclusion: Elaboration of the financial incentive system is needed to increase the policy impact on staffing improvement.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.64-72
• /
• 2017

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the distributions of nurse staffing grades and to report changes in staffing grades in general wards and adult and neonatal intensive care units(ICUs) by hospital type and location. Methods: Data collected from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were analyzed. Nurse staffing was categorized from grades 1 to 6 or 7 for general wards, 1 to 9 for adult ICUs, and 1 to 4 for neonatal ICUs based on the nurse-to-bed ratio. Results: The staffing grade for the general wards improved during 2008-2016 in 69.8% of the tertiary hospitals, 58.5% of the general hospitals, and 31.7% of the non-general hospitals. The adult ICUs at tertiary hospitals exhibited a greater improvement in staffing grades (48.8%) than did those of general hospitals (44.2%) during 2008-2015. Tertiary hospitals in non-capital regions showed a greater improvement than those in the capital region. The majority of neonatal ICUs (67.1%) had no change in the staffing grade during 2008-2015. Conclusion: Improvements in nurse staffing differed by hospital type and location. Government policies to improve nurse staffing in non-tertiary hospitals and those in non-capital regions are required to reduce variations in nurse staffing.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.321-332
• /
• 2013

Purpose: Korean health insurance extended application of the Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) payment system to tertiary and general hospitals from July, 2013. This study was done to develop a DRG fee adjustment mechanism applied to levels of nurse staffing to assure quality nursing service. Methods: Nurse stafffing grades among hospitals in Korea were analyzed. Differences and ratio of inpatient costs by nurse staffing grades in DRG fees and differences of DRG fee between tertiary and general hospitals were compared. Results: In 2013, nurse staffing grades in tertiary and general hospitals had improved, but other hospital nurse staffing grades remained at the 2001 level. Gaps of inpatient costs between first and seventh nurse staffing grades were over 10% in 4 out of 7 DRG diagnosis; However differences of DRG fee between tertiary and general hospitals were only 4.51% and 4.72% respectively. A DRG fee adjustment mechanism was developed that included nurse staffing grades and hospitalization days as factors of the formula. Conclusion: Current DRG fees motivate hospitals to decrease nurse staffing grades because cost reduction is bigger than compensation. This DRG fee adjustment mechanism reflects nurse staffing supply to motivate hospitals to hire more nurses as a reasonable compensation system.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.10-21
• /
• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to identify determinants of registered nurse (RN) skill mix and staffing level focused on hospital characteristics. Methods: Data were obtained from health insurance claims data and hospital reporting system in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) for the year 2010. Data from 2,998 hospitals were analysed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. Results: The RN skill mix and staffing level were positively related to hospital size and the percentage of inpatients to total patients. RN skill mix and staffing level were statistically different across regions. Including nursing aides (NA), however, there was no difference in staffing levels across regions. Medically vulnerable regions, bed operation rate, and the number of patients per doctor were also related to RN skill mix and staffing level. Conclusion: The statically significant determinants of RN skill mix and staffing level included hospital size, region, bed operation rate, percentage of inpatients, doctor-patient ratio. Further study needs to be done to investigate factors including RN supply and wages.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.25-41
• /
• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate changes in critical nursing activities from 2009 to 2020 and explore the relationship between nurse staffing and such activities in intensive care units. Methods : A total of 446,445 adult patients admitted to intensive care units in tertiary and general hospitals from 2009 to 2020 were identified using the National Health Insurance claims database. The Critical Nursing Activities Index was calculated based on the following critical nursing activities: ventilator, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Trend analysis was performed to analyze changes in critical nursing activities over 12 years and to assess linear trends across different staffing levels. Results : The annual utilization days for ventilators, ECMO, and CRRT, as well as the Critical Nursing Activities Index significantly increased over the study period (p-for-trend<.001) in tertiary and general hospitals, except for ventilator use in general hospitals. Ventilator, ECMO, and CRRT utilization exhibited a significant upward trend with higher nurse staffing levels (Bonferroni adjusted p-for-trend<.001). The Critical Nursing Activities Index was significantly higher in hospitals with higher staffing levels compared to those with lower staffing levels (Bonferroni adjusted p <.05). Conclusion : The findings underscore the need for improved nurse staffing levels in intensive care units. Government policies should ensure that staffing levels align with critical nursing activities among critically ill patients to uphold the quality of care.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.42 no.5
• /
• pp.719-729
• /
• 2012

Purpose: This study was done to examine relationships between nurse staffing level and postsurgical patient outcomes using inpatient database from the National Health Insurance. Methods: Records of 111,491 patients who received one of 12 types of surgery between January and December, 2009 were identified and analyzed in this study. Nurse staffing level was measured using adjusted nurse staffing grades from 0 to 7. Patient outcomes were defined as in-hospital mortality, or pneumonia, sepsis, or urinary tract infection after surgery. Logistic regression analyses estimated by Generalized Estimation Model, were used to analyze the association between nurse staffing level and patient outcomes. Results: An inverse relationship was found between nurse staffing and patient mortality. Compared with patients who were cared for in hospitals with the highest nurse staffing (Grades 0-1), increases in the odds of dying were found in those with Grades 6-7 [OR (odds ratio)=2.99, 95% CI (confidence interval)=1.94-4.60], those with Grades 4-5 (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.24-2.57) and those with Grades 2-3 (OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.25-1.98). Lower nurse staffing level was also associated with higher number of cases in pneumonia and sepsis. Conclusion: Policies for providing adequate nurse staffing is required to enhance quality of care and lead to better perioperative patient outcomes.