It involves deciding what type of and how many

personnel are needed to provide adequate and quality

patient or client care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and
52 weeks a year.

Staffing is the process of determining and providing the
acceptable number and mix of nursing personnel to
produce a desired level of care and to meet the patients
demand for care. The staffing process involves the
selection of qualified and competent personnel, a
system of assignment and staffing schedules.

Selection of Personnel
I. Recruitment - process of enlisting personnel for employment.

Methods of recruitment include the ff:

a. Advertising. This is the most common method of informing the public of vacant
positions.

b. Word of Mouth. This can be a very effective method of recruitment.
However, it may lead to hiring of friends and relatives, a practice which
may foster favoritism and nepotism.

c. Employee Recommendation. Nurses who are already employed in the
institution recruiting personnel may recommend fellow nurses whom they
have previously worked with in the past and who they know are competent
and reliable.

II. Screening

3 philosophies during the screening process:

1. Screen out applicants who do not fit the image of the
agency.
2. Try to fit the job to a promising applicant
3. Usually, try to fit the applicant to the job.

Requirements: biographical data, personnel history, educational
background, and work experience. The recruiter can use the data
to determine whether the applicant is qualified and meets the
minimum requirements.

III. Interview
The purpose of the interview is to obtain further information
about the applicant, to give information, and to determine if the
applicant qualifies for the position.

During the interview process, the interviewer observes the
applicant. Does the applicant show genuine interest in the job,
willingness to work and assume responsibilities? Is she/he well-
mannered? etc.

Some institutions may require the applicants to take a series of
tests to assess their general intelligence; personality; mental, perceptual
and psychomotor abilities.

IV. Orientation
Orientation is a process of becoming familiar with a new environment and
adapting well to it. When policies, regulations and job descriptions are
communicated to the newly employed nurse, uncertainties are diminished,
anxiety is reduced and misunderstanding are prevented.

A well-designed orientation program would include:
A tour of the physical facilities
introduction to co-workers
description of the organizational structure of the institution
information on the philosophy, goals, policies and standards of the
institution
functions of the members of the health team

**In service education training programs may also be conducted to prepare
the beginning nurse practitioner to assume bigger responsibilities.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
The nurse should engage in professional education activities
such as attending publications; and engaging in other activities that will
enhance his or her competencies as a nurse and develop his or her
aesthetic sense and personality.

Roles as a nurse manager in staff development:
support the program of the institution
review the goals and provide a budget for the activities
participate in identifying the needs of the personnel

**The quality of rendered nursing services related to personnels
education, training and competence, can be further enhanced through
attendance in continuing activities.
Systems of Assignment
a. Case method. In this method each patient is assigned to a nurse for total
patient care including medicines and treatment.

b. Functional method. In the functional method nurses are assigned to perform
specific tasks based on the employees education and experience. (nursing aides,
professional nurses, head nurses)

c. Team Method. Professional, technical, and ancillary nursing personnel are
grouped together as a team to give total care to a selected group of patients.

- Senior professional nurse as team leader
-The team leader is responsible for making assignments, conducting rounds
throughout the shift, conducting team conferences and updating nursing care
plans.
d. Primary method. The primary nurse is given the full responsibility of planning,
implementing and evaluating the nursing care for 4-5 patients.

- Plans for a 24-hour continuity i
- Utilizes a written nursing care plan
- Communicate with other members of the health team
- Plans for the discharge of his patient


e. Modular method. The nurse is assisted by non-nursing members of the
health team to give nursing care to 8-12 patients. It is a combination of primary and
team nursing.
Scheduling
The objectives of scheduling and allocation procedures are to assign
working days and days off to individual members of the nursing staff in
order to:

Provide adequate patient care while avoiding overstaffing
Achieve a desirable distribution of off days
Treat individual members of the nursing staff fairly
Let the personnel know well in advance what their schedules are

TYPES:

Centralized
Decentralized
Self-scheduling
In preparing the schedule, the following guidelines should be
observed:

1. Let it represent a balance between the needs of the employee
and the employer (patient care) When conflicts arise, patient care
should have priority.

2. Distribute fairly the days off among all employees.

3. Make all employees adhere to the established rotation.
Exceptions should be rare and granted only if the employee is
requesting two weekdays off (working every weekend). All requests
and exceptions should be in writing and should specify the period
of time off requested.
4. Advance posting of time schedules so as to allow employees plan their
personal lives.

5. Do not make time schedules a mystery nor use them as a tool of control or
discipline.

6. Come up with a mechanism for emergency changes to accommodate both
employee and employer.

7. Make schedule conform with all labor laws, and hospital and department
policies.

8. Provide correct numbers and mix of personnel, allowing continuity, which
is essential for quality care.

9. Be consistent in scheduling to enable work groups develop teamwork, which
contributes to quality care.

Types of Scheduling
I. Centralized Scheduling

Centralized scheduling is based on a maser staffing pattern that is
carried out by one person who plans and coordinates the schedule of the
nurses. The coordinator knows how many staff nurses there are and and
their availability. The coordinator is able to make necessary changes in
the rotation in case of illness or emergencies that may unexpectedly
arise.

Centralized scheduling relieves the charge or head nurse from
non-nursing functions, freeing her or him for more important
administrative or nursing responsibilities.

II. Decentralized Scheduling
Decentralized Scheduling allows the nurse manager to staff his or
her unit. Nursing personnel feel that they get personalized attention
because you are aware of their clinical and personal needs and take
these into consideration when planning for staffing. Since decentralized
scheduling is time-consuming, you should spend more time in non-
nursing functions rather than purely nursing activities.

III. Self-Scheduling
Self-scheduling is the process by which staff nurses in a unit
collectively decide and implement the monthly work schedule. Given the
criteria for adequate unit staffing for each 24-hour period by the head
nurse, each staff nurse chooses which day and shift he or she will work.