Assessing the application of the Synergy Model in hematology to improve care delivery and the work environment.

A pilot project was undertaken to evaluate the impact of the Synergy Model (Curley, 1998) on patient care delivery and professional practice in a hematology unit. Patient characteristics were matched to nurse competency when making the nursing assignments and acuity scores were used to make staffing adjustments. The model resulted in "better fit" assignments, with 87% of nurses reporting their competencies were well matched with patient acuity, compared to 48% before the model implementation. Nurse satisfaction regarding the level of support for novice nurses, involvement in nursing assignments, workload, and engagement also improved. Reduction in safety occurrences and overtime were also observed. The Synergy Model offers a promising framework for improving care delivery and the practice environment in other similar patient populations.