Staffing in Nursing Management
1. Recruitment, Selection, and Placement
- Recruitment – attracting qualified applicants for nursing positions.
- Selection – screening, interviewing, and choosing the most suitable candidate.
- Placement – assigning nurses to appropriate units or roles based on skills, experience, and
competencies.
2. Scheduling
Ensures adequate nurse coverage while considering workload, patient census, and staff
preferences.
Types of Scheduling Systems:
- Centralized scheduling
- Decentralized scheduling
- Self-scheduling
- Flexible/rotating shifts
3. Predicting Staffing Needs
Uses tools such as nurse-patient ratios, acuity systems, and census trends to forecast
staffing.
Considers:
- Patient acuity levels
- Bed occupancy rate
- Skill mix of available staff
- Budget constraints
4. Nursing Care Delivery Systems
Case Method
One nurse provides total care to one or more patients during a shift.
Advantage: Holistic and individualized care. Disadvantage: Expensive and resource-
intensive.
Functional Nursing
Each nurse performs specific tasks for all patients (e.g., one nurse does meds, another does
hygiene).
By: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III
Clinical Instructor
Advantage: Efficient, especially in emergencies. Disadvantage: Fragmented care, lack of
continuity.
Team Nursing
A group of nurses, led by an RN, provides care to a group of patients.
Advantage: Collaborative, cost-effective. Disadvantage: Requires good communication and
leadership.
Primary Nursing
One RN is responsible for the total care plan and continuity of care of patients throughout
their stay.
Advantage: Strong nurse-patient relationship. Disadvantage: Requires skilled RNs and may
be costly.
Modular Nursing
Patient care is divided into modules/units, with a team responsible for each module.
Advantage: Localized accountability, efficient use of resources. Disadvantage: Needs
consistent team assignment.
Nursing Case Management
Focuses on coordinating care across the continuum, ensuring cost-effectiveness and quality
outcomes.
Case manager follows patient from admission to discharge.
5. Staff Development
- Orientation – introduction to hospital policies, procedures, and unit routines.
- In-service education – skill updates and reinforcement.
- Mentoring and coaching – support from senior nurses to junior staff.
6. Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
Ongoing learning required to maintain and enhance nursing competence.
May include:
- Formal training programs
- Seminars, workshops, and conferences
- Online courses and certifications
CPD ensures compliance with professional standards and lifelong learning.
By: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III
Clinical Instructor
References
Huber, D. (2022). Leadership and nursing care management (7th ed.). Elsevier.
Kelly, P., & Tazbir, J. (2018). Essentials of nursing leadership & management (7th ed.).
Cengage Learning.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership roles and management functions in
nursing: Theory and application (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Sullivan, E. J. (2017). Effective leadership and management in nursing (9th ed.). Pearson.
Yoder-Wise, P. S. (2019). Leading and managing in nursing (7th ed.). Elsevier.
American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (4th ed.).
ANA.
By: ROMMEL LUIS C. ISRAEL III
Clinical Instructor
