Measuring the PULSE of Nursing

Abstract

Background: Critical nursing shortages have required many health care organizations to restructure nursing care delivery models. At a tertiary health care center, 150 registered practical nurses were integrated into acute inpatient care settings. Problem: A mechanism to continuously monitor the impact of this staffing change was not available. Approach: Leveraging current literature and consultation with external peers, metrics were compiled and categorized according to Donabedian's Structure Process Outcome Framework. Consultation with internal subject matter experts determined the final metrics. Outcomes: The Patient care, Utility, Logistics, Systemic Evaluation (PULSE) electronic dashboard was developed, capturing metrics from multiple internal databases and presenting real-time composites of validated indicators. Conclusion: The PULSE dashboard is a practical means of enabling nursing leadership to evaluate the impact of change and to make evidence-informed decisions about nursing care delivery at our organization.