Staffing Principles from the Nurse’s Perspective
Clinical competencies needed by RNs should be determined by patient needs. Research shows staffing plans are most effective when:
- Each staff nurse’s responsibilities and competencies are defined and documented.
- RNs are supported and represented by nursing management at the unit and executive level.
- RNs with more advanced clinical skills support RNs with less proficiency.
These nurse characteristics should factor into staffing decisions:
- Experience with the population served
- Level of experience (novice to expert)
- Education and preparation, including certification
- Language capabilities
- Tenure on the unit
- Level of control of practice environment
- Degree of involvement in quality initiatives
- Measure of immersion in activities such as nursing research which add to the body of nursing knowledge
- Measure of involvement in inter-disciplinary and collaborative activities regarding patient needs
- Number of clinical and non-clinical support staff with whom the RN works, and their competencies