Temporary nurse deployments: a time-series analysis of shift scheduling dynamics and staffing level alignment.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Hospitals deploy temporary nurses to bridge staffing gaps. However, evidence remains inconclusive regarding the extent, patterns, and factors driving temporary deployment. This study aimed to describe how temporary nurses are deployed as a response to shift-level schedule deviations and shortfalls in planned schedules.

Methods

Our four-month time-series analysis covered 1344 shifts across two medical and two surgical units in a tertiary hospital in Iran. Shift-level data included nursing staff numbers, the skill mix, staff absences and the patient count and turnover. The patient-to-nurse ratio was used to gauge staffing levels. Data were analysed using both descriptive and analytical approaches, including the fitting of three generalized linear mixed models to a

SUBMITTER: Ahmadi Shad M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12410400 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature