Which tool is used to determine the hours of care and staff required for a group of clients?

• A. Client satisfaction survey
• B. Nursing care plan
• C. Medication administration record
• D. Acuity record

Answer: (D)

Planning how many nursing hours are needed starts with judging how much care each patient requires. An acuity record captures the level of care for each patient, considering factors like monitoring needs, assistance with daily activities, treatment complexity, and frequency of interventions. By totaling these acuity scores across a unit or shift, managers determine staffing needs and assign appropriate numbers of nurses to meet the group’s care demands. Client satisfaction surveys measure perceptions, the nursing care plan outlines individualized interventions for each patient, and the medication administration record tracks drugs—not the overall staffing workload.