Application of the workload indicators of staffing need method to calculate the size of the medical staff at a maternity hospital in the state of Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Background Functioning health systems require a health workforce (HWF) that is qualified, available, equitably distributed, and accessible to the entire population as the basis for guaranteeing access to health. There is a global HWF crisis, manifested in Brazil by unequal distribution of healthcare personnel, particularly in rural areas, urban peripheries, and other hard-to-reach communities, posing a major obstacle to guaranteeing access to health systems and services. Based on the above, calculating the size and analyzing the workloads of the medical staff in the Obstetrics Department (OD) and Urgent Care Center (UCC) in a state maternity hospital is relevant for designing improvements in the work processes and future strategies for recruiting, selecting, and retaining these workers at the hospital, in turn favoring improvement in the quality of care for women and children at the state level. This scenario motivated the study’s design, in which the overall objective was to analyze the workload of staff physicians working in the Obstetrics Department and Urgent Care Center of a public maternity hospital in the state of Bahia, based on the WISN method. Methods This was an exploratory-descriptive intervention study with a quantitative approach and qualitative elements, using the methodological stages recommended by the WISN to calculate and analyze the workload of obstetricians working in the OD and UCC in the maternity hospital. Results The study found a deficit of 14 shift obstetricians at the hospital with a workload of 0.81. The study also found that the insufficient number of obstetricians at the hospital resulted from precarious hiring formats, idle medical positions, and poorly structured work processes and a shortage in the multidisciplinary staff. Conclusion The research sought to contribute to the reduction of the gap in models and methodologies for the staffing of gynecologists and obstetricians in Bahia Maternity Hospitals, without covering the whole subject, but to demonstrate that the findings of the workload analysis and its validation could be useful in promoting and directing the design and implementation of interventions to improve the quality of the workload.

Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) Method for Health Workforce Planning at Health Facility: A scoping review

“…WISN strengthens primary health care team by clearly assigning job description for each cadre of the health facility [29]. The health facilities use WISN to assess the surge capacity and resulting disaster preparedness [35]; to understand the level of workload pressure, the cause of shortage or surplus and reassign staff or change facility status [31,33].…”

Analysis of Nurses' Job Satisfaction in Relation to Hospital Ownership Status

“…The Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method is a reliable tool for health workforce planning, suitable for various regional settings. WISN has shown to be a promising method for accurately predicting the required healthcare workforce (De Menezes et al, 2022). Heavy workloads are a global situation in the nursing profession owing to the perception of staff shortages.…”

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“…The Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) method is a reliable tool for health workforce planning, suitable for various regional settings. WISN has shown to be a promising method for accurately predicting the required healthcare workforce (De Menezes et al, 2022). Heavy workloads are a global situation in the nursing profession owing to the perception of staff shortages.…”