Developing a caseload classification tool for community nursing

CHAPMAN, Helen, KILNER, Margaret, MATTHEWS, Rebekah, WHITE, Abi, THOMPSON, Angela, FOWLER-DAVIS, Sally and FARNDON, Lisa (2017). Developing a caseload classification tool for community nursing. British Journal of Community Nursing, 22 (4), 192-196.

[img]
Preview
PDF
White - Developing a caseload classification tool for community nursing (AM).pdf - Accepted Version
All rights reserved.

Download (329kB) | Preview
Official URL: http://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/10.12968/bjcn....

Abstract

Acuity and dependency in the community nursing caseload in combination with safe staffing levels are a national issue of concern. Current evidence suggests that there are no clear approaches to determining staff capacity and skill mix in these community settings. As community nursing caseloads are large with differing complexities, there is a need to allocate community nursing with the best skill mix to achieve the best patient outcomes. A city-wide service improvement initiative developed a tool to classify and categorise patient demand and this was linked to an electronic patient record system. The aim was to formulate an effective management response to different levels of acuity and dependency within community nursing teams and a consensus approach was used to allow the definition of complexity for twelve packages of care. The tool was piloted by a group of community nurses to assess the validity as a method to achieve a caseload classification. Seventy nurses were trained and applied the tool to 3000 patient referrals. Based on this, standards of care were agreed including expectations of assessment, intervention, visit length and frequency. Community nursing caseloads can now be organised according to acuity and complexity of patient need, which determines allocation of staff and skill mix.

Item Type: Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Centre for Health and Social Care Research
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2017.22.4.192
Page Range: 192-196
Depositing User: Carmel House
Date Deposited: 08 Jun 2017 12:12
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 04:05
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/15822

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics