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Nursing & Midwifery: Workload & Workforce: Planning Project
chapter 3. Methods
The project
The aims of the project were to:
establish what methods are currently used to examine nursing workload and workforce planning in NHSScotland
establish what methods are used to measure quality of care
establish what information management and technology systems are used to collate and analyse data
develop criteria for, and collate examples of, good practice in nursing and midwifery workload assessment and workforce planning in NHSScotland.
Specially designed questionnaires
7 were used to collect data and follow-up interviews with key contact personnel in each Trust and NHS Board area (as they were configured in September 2003) were also carried out. Questionnaires were designed for most parts of NHSScotland
8 where nursing and midwifery services are delivered:
They focused on key issues relevant to nursing and midwifery workload and workforce planning, such as:
workforce planning systems currently in use
current funded establishments
'protected time' from clinical work for senior charge nurses or equivalent
predictable absence allowances within establishments
flexible working
examples of best practice.
The questionnaires were converted into Excel format to aid data collection and were piloted in four areas in August 2003. The final questionnaires and instructions for completion are presented on the enclosed CD-ROM.
In total, 102 questionnaires were issued
9 during the period 26-29 August 2003, accompanied by a set of instructions for completion and with a three-week timeframe for submission. The information on returned questionnaires was endorsed and authorised by Directors of Nursing and representatives of local Partnership Forums
10 to ensure local 'ownership' of the data. Respondents were assured that all information submitted would be treated as confidential and would only be published in anonymised form.
Following receipt of the completed questionnaires, the Project Manager visited each NHS Board area during the period 25 September-24 October 2003
11 to clarify information and complete missing data. These meetings were held with the nominated representative from each organisation who had responsibility for completion of the questionnaires. In some instances, the Director of Nursing and/or Partnership Forum representatives also attended, along with other members of staff who had participated in the data collection exercise.
The revised information was then updated on the summary Excel worksheets to ensure it was included in the data analysis process. A dataset was created for each specialty, pulling together all the individual Trust/organisation returns. Validation was performed on each dataset, following which the data were analysed using Excel and reported as summary tables on the enclosed CD-ROM.
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