Waiting Time as an Index of Quality of Nursing Care
AUTOR(ES)
Haussmann, R. K. Dieter
RESUMO
A model of the patient care process, based on queueing theory, is described and its parameters defined empirically for application to a burn unit. For the particular case, the model is shown to provide a close approximation to observed data. The model is descriptive, with an output of expected waiting times for various priorities of patient demand. The waiting times so estimated constitute an index of the quality of nursing care and afford a means of predicting changes in quality with changes in staffing or inpatient load. The model facilitates investigation of the relationships among three factors: patient condition, nurses' activity priorities, and patient load per nurse.
