Workload assessment using the nursing activities score in intensive care units: Nationwide prospective observational study in France.

Background: Within French intensive care units (ICUs), patients are treated with two levels of care (intensive or intermediate) with different nurse-to-patient ratios legally defined.

Objectives: We aimed to compare the nursing workload associated with these two levels of care.

Research methodology: A nationwide prospective observational study was conducted in France between April and July 2023. Each ICU was allowed to choose its own two-week period of data collection during which the Nursing Activities Score was collected by nurses at patients' bedside, during each shift. The Nursing Activities Score ranges from 20 to 177% and a 100% score represents a nurse per shift. The number of patients per nurse was collected and the Nursing Activities Score per nurse was assessed.

Results: One hundred and five ICUs participated. Overall, 21,665 measurements of Nursing Activities Score per patient and 9,885 Nursing Activities Score per nurse were collected. ICUs were composed by 2083 beds distributed into 1520 (73 %) intensive care beds and 563 (27 %) intermediate care beds. Among the participating units, 93 (89 %) of the teams worked in 2 shifts. Median [p25-p75] Nursing Activities Score per adult patient was 61 % [49-80] for intensive care patients and 47 % [38-61] for intermediate care patients (p < 0.001). Median Nursing Activities Score per nurse for adult population was 127 % [92-167], 143 % [92-198], and 164 % [126-213] for nurses only providing intensive care, only intermediate care or both levels of care, respectively (p < 0.001). A Nursing Activities Score per nurse value >100 % was observed in 71.4 %.

Conclusions: Nurses' workload was high in the ICU, especially when providing intermediate or mixed levels of care.

Implications for practice: In order to reduce nurses' workload, a review of the nurse-to-patient ratios is expected. Physically separating the two levels of care may be a valuable option.