WakeMed Health & Hospitals

Bundling Mother and Baby for Safer Assignments:

Nursing Workload Indicators for Couplet Care
 What are Trying to Solve?

• No standard in determining safe and

fair assignments in a post-partum
couplet unit.
• No way to see “at a glance” view of the
condition of the mother and baby.

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Let’s Go on the Genba!

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Survey for the Charge Nurses

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Literature Review

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 What is the Goal?

To help ensure more fairly distributed nursing

assignments.
Taking into to consideration factors such as patient acuity,
severity of illness, patient/family psychological/sociological
demands, complexity of care, and patient turnover.

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Does Epic have what We Need?

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Workload Indicator Mom

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Highest Workload Indicators for Mother

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Increased Workload Indicators for Mother

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Increased Workload Indicator for Infant

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Workflow in Epic

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Patient List View

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Map View

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Pre/Post Survey the Bedside Nurse

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 Survey Results

Rate how much input

you have in making
assignments for the
next shift. 16
 Survey Results

Rate how often you feel

that the patient
assignments are equal
between staff members.
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 Survey Results

Rate how frequently

you feel overwhelmed
with your patient
assignment. 18
 Survey Results

Rate how frequently you

think patient safety is
considered when patient
assignments are made.
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 Survey Results

Rate how consistent

assignments are
between charge
nurses. 20
 Survey Results

Rate how often you think

charge nurses consider
nurse workload when
making assignments.
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 Lessons Learned

• Involve all staff in the process

• Workload Acuity vs Workload Indicator

• Positive side effect...Charge nurses off

paper

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 Questions?

Noel Hammond BSN RNC

nhammond@wakemed.org

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