Using OR Patient Classification for Staffing Assignments

Traditionally, one nurse is assigned per OR. Recent health care reforms and the AORN “Position statement on perioperative safe staffing and on-call practices” require managers to rethink this practice. Staffing levels that are insufficient have been linked to sentinel events. A patient classification system that includes patient acuity and procedure complexity can be used to determine which surgical procedures require more than one RN circulator and offer a scientific basis for increasing staff budgetary requests. The goal is to experience fewer sentinel events while providing better patient care and achieving higher nurse retention.