Safety Scores

Like most of the NHS, our ward is busy, with a high number of complex needs patients, high acuity levels and complicated specialities. We reached a point just over a year ago when we found high acuity, opening extra beds and a poor skill mix was the daily expected standard. Not to mention the growing ratio of agency to permanent staff and being overall short of staff on the ward adding additional stress to our teamwork. Since then we have been using a new tool called safety scoring.

Safety Scores is a tool created to help distribute patient workload more evenly amongst the team.

We have an automated calculator built in to our handover which adds up the score for each patient when the care needs have been inputted.

The allocating nurse can then use these scores to keep the patient work evenly balanced. Each care need has been given a score depending on how much time it will take from the day.

For example, being on oxygen scores 2 as it means they will need vital signs documented every hour whereas needing a blood transfusion only scores one because it is 3-4 hours total from the day. The number of IVABs a patient requires also affects the safety score depending on how many they need. We try to give each nurse a similar total score for their patients (when all 4 patients’ scores are added together).

If we allocate based on safety scores it should mean everyone has an equal level of workload as it is calculated by care needs and by taking a couple of minutes to update the scores and allocate accordingly we could make the next shift easier for those we hand over to. It will also mean we are able to divide our attention between some of the patients who need a little extra time making it safer for everyone on the ward.

This tool has been met with positive responses as evidenced by a recent feedback survey. Several staff on the ward stated that the tool has “led to better teamwork” and helps with prioritisation as well as being fair and effective. When not used the effect “is noticeable and adds additional stress to the team”.

So whilst we still see high acuity with our patients and have shifts that are short on staff, we have learnt to share the challenge equally with the team which creates a supportive, more positive attitude amongst staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further information contact [email protected]