Patient Classification System (PCS)

The PCS is a method of grouping patients according to the amount and complexity of their nursing care
requirements.

It is a measurement tool used to articulate the nursing workload for a specific patient or group of
patients over a specific period of time.

Patient acuity is the measure of nuring workload that is generated for each patient. As a petient
becomes sicker, the acuity level rises, meaning the patient requires more nursing care. As a patient
acuity level decreases, the patient requires less nursing care

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Patient Classification System

"The greatest asset of a man�s business is his pride in work."

Rapid and dynamic changes in healthcare delivery have placed the issues of patient safety and quality of
care at the center of healthcare. The American Nursing Association�s Nursing Safety and Quality
Initiative, highlighted the strong linkage between nursing actions and patient outcomes. Developing a
fair, objective, and reliable way to predict the required number and skill level of staff to meet patient
needs and staffing assignments is a continuous challenge to healthcare leaders. We believe that
adequate staff numbers are essential to provide quality patient care that is measured by standards of
care; and determined by the number of hours of care provided.

To serve this purpose, the Nursing Services Department at AUBMC developed a Patient Classification
System (PCS), which is customized to our patient population, in line with our philosophy, values, and
culture accounting for nursing actions that are based on standards of care
The PCS is a scheme that group patients according to the amount and complexity of their nursing care
requirements. It serves as a tool to measure patient needs, caregiver interventions, and the skill levels
required to meet those needs.

The purpose of the Patient Classification System is to:

* Determine the required nursing hours needed to provide safe and efficient patient care based on
standards of care and practice.

* Determine the number and category of staff (skill mix) needed for providing quality patient care.

* Monitor changes in patient demographics and care needs.

* Provide data on each patient care unit that directs and supports staffing decision-making.

* Ensure that quality nursing care is provided in a safe environment.

* Assess the level and support services required.

* Enhance staff satisfaction through a stress free work environment

The PCS is a measurement tool that specifies the required care hours per patient per shift based on the
nurse assessment. The acuity is entered in an automated application as an acuity level. The system will
calculate the direct and the indirect care needs and generate the NHPPD.

This process will determine the actual workload needed and predict the nursing load required. Once the
care needs are determined, the hours can be broken down into time requirements for each category of
nursing personnel. Thus, the PCS software determines the number of nurses needed for a group of
patients, together with the skill mix within that number.

The PCS data generated is used to:

* Improve patient satisfaction by providing required time to the patient according to his/her needs.

* Enhance staff satisfaction by determining staffing needs and thus decreasing workload.
 * Monitor the provision of quality nursing care according to international standards in a safe work
environment

The PCS is monitored through inter-rater reliability studies . Critical thinking on the part of our nurses,
along with creativity and thorough analysis, have led to the success of our PCS. With the collaboration
of the Nursing Informatics Division and the input of stakeholders , the credibility of the program has
been maintained to a high extent.

The great achievement of PCS has instilled an enormous sense of pride in each one of us, as part of the
first and only nursing department in the Middle East region to establish and use such an efficient
software program.