Workload management system for nurses: application to the burn unit.

A patient acuity classification is required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and this is vital in providing safe, cost-effective nursing care. The Workload Management System for Nurses (WMSN), which is based on direct and indirect nursing care research, prospectively classifies patients on the basis of direct care requirements and then establishes staffing levels on the basis of both direct care and indirect care workloads. Application of the Department of Defense WMSN to the military burn research center is feasible and has provided data for objective staffing adjustments and validated staffing requirements. In addition, several other quality assurance implications have been realized as a result of implementation of the system.