PATIENT CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
PATIENT CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM
• Means of categorizing present patients
on the basis of certain care needs that
can be clinically observed by the nurse.
CATEGORY I. Self-care/Minimal
Care
• Minimal care is given to patients who are
convalescing and who no longer require
intensive, moderate or maximum care.
CATEGORY I. Self-care/Minimal
Care
• Patients who require diagnostic studies,
minimal therapy, less frequent
observations, and daily care for minor
conditions and who are awaiting elective
surgery.
CATEGORY II. Moderate Care
• Care given to patients who are
moderately ill or are recovering from the
immediate effects of a serious illness
and/or an operation.
CATEGORY II. Moderate Care
• Patients require nursing supervision or
some assistance related to ambulating
and caring for their own hygiene.
CATEGORY III. Maximum Care
• Given to patients with who need close
attention throughout the shift, that is
complete care for patients who require
nursing to initiate, supervise and perform
most of their activities or who require
frequent and complex medications or
treatments.
CATEGORY IV. Intensive Care
• Given to acutely ill patients who have a
high level of nurse dependency, including
those requiring intensive therapy and/or
intensive nursing care and whose
unstable condition requires frequent
evaluation with adjustment of therapy.
PERENTAGE OF PATIENTS IN VARIOUS LEVELS
OF CARE
Types of Minimal Moderate Intensive Highly
Hospital Care Care Care Specialized
Care
Primary Hospital 70 25 5 -
Secondary 65 30 5 -
Hospital
Tertiary Hospital
30 45 15 10
Special Tertiary
Hospital 10 25 45 20
CATEGORIES OR LEVELS OF CARE OF
PATIENTS, NURSING CARE HOURS NEEDED PER
PATIENT PER DAY AND RATIO OF
PROFESSIONAL TO NON-PROFESSIONALS
LEVELS OF CARE NCH needed per patient per Ratio of Professionals to
day Non-professionals
Level I
Self Care or Minimal Care 1.50 55:45
Level II
Moderate or Intermediate 3.0 60:40
Level III
Total or Intensive Care 4.5 65:35
Level IV
Highly Specialized or 6.0 70:30
Critical Care
7 or higher 80:20
TOTAL NUMBER OF WORKING AND NON-WORKING DAYS
AND HOURS OF NURSING PERSONNEL PER YEAR
Rights and Privileges Given Working Hours per week
Each Personnel per Year 40 hrs 48 hrs
1. Vacation Leave 15 15
2. Sick Leave 15 15
3. Legal Holidays 10 10
4. Special Holidays 2 2
5. Special Privileges 3 3
6. Off-duties as per R.A. 104 52
5901
7. Continuing Education
Program 3 3
Total Non-working Days per 152 100
Year
Total Working Days per Year 213 265
Total Working Hours per 1,704 2,120
Relievers Needed
1. Average Number of Leaves taken each Year ……… 15
a. Vacation Leave ………………………… 10
b. Sick Leave ……………………………… 5
2. Holidays ………………………………………………… 12
3. Special Privileges as per CSC MC #6 s. 1996………. 3
4. Continuing Education Program for Professionals …... 3
Total Average Leaves ………………………………….. 33
**** 33/213 = 0.15 per person
**** 33/265 = 0.12 per person
STAFFING FORMULA (by L. Venzon)
• Studies shown that the morning shift
needs the most number of nursing
personnel, that is 45%, the afternoon shift
needs about 37% and the night shift only
about 18% because more nursing care is
given during the morning and afternoon
shifts than during the night shift.
The procedure for computing for the number
of staff needed in the in-patient areas of the
hospital is as follows:
• Sample Problem:
Find the number of nursing personnel
needed for 250 patients in a tertiary
hospital.
1. Categorize the number of patients
according to the level of care needed by
hospital classification
a. Total number of patients x percent at each level of
care
250 pts x 0.30 = 75 pts. needing minimal care
250 pts x 0.45 = 112.50 pts. needing moderate care
250 pts x 0.15 = 37.50 pts. needing intensive care
250 pts x 0.01 = 25 pts. Needing highly specialized care
250 pts.
2. Find the total number of nursing hours
needed by the patients per day at each
categorized level
a. Number of patients at each level average nursing
hours needed per day
75 pts x 1.5 (NCH needed at Level I) = 112 NCH/day
112.5 pts x 3 (NCH needed at Level II) = 337.60 NCH/day
37.5 pts x 4.5 (NCH needed at Level III)= 168.75 NCH/day
25 pts x 6 (NCH needed at Level IV) = 150 NCH/day
2. Find the total number of nursing hours
needed by the patients per day at each
categorized level
b. Get the sum of nursing hours in various levels
112 NCH/day
337.60 NCH/day
168.75 NCH/day
150 NCH/day
768.75 NCH/day
3. Find the total number of nursing hours
needed by patients per year
a. Total number of nursing hours per day x 365
days of the year
768.75 x NCH/day x 365 (days/year) = 280,593.75 NCH/year
4. Find the actual number of working hours
rendered by each nursing personnel each
year
a. Hours on duty per day x actual working days per
year
8 (hrs/day) x 213 (working days/year) = 1,704
(workinghours/year)
5. Find the total number of nursing personnel
needed
a. Divide the total number of nursing hours needed
by the given number of patients per year by the
actual number of working hours rendered per year
Total NCH/year = 280, 593.75 = 165
Working hrs/yr 1,704
5. Find the total number of nursing personnel
needed
b. Find the relief, multiply the number of nursing
personnel needed by .095
Relief x Total Nursing Personnel = 165 x 0.15 = 25
5. Find the total number of nursing personnel
needed
c. Add number of relievers to the number of needed
nursing personnel
Total Nursing Personnel = 165 + 25 = 190
6. Categorize into professional and non-
professional
a. Multiply number of nursing personnel according to
ration of professional to non-professional
190 x 0.65 = 124 professional nurses
190 x 0.35 = 66 nursing attendants
7. Distribute by shifts
124 nurses x 0.45 = 56 nurses on AM shift
124 nurses x 0.37 = 46 nurses on PM shift
124 nurses x 0.18 = 22 nurses on Night Shift
Total = 124 nurses
66 nursing attendants x 0.45 = 30 nursing attendants on AM shifts
66 nursing attendants x 0.37 = 24 nursing attendants on PM shifts
66 nursing attendants x 0.18 = 12 nursing attendants on Night shifts
Total = 66 nursing attendants
