Abstract:
To determine nursing needs demanded by patient in each classification, and to determine the appropriate staffing for nurse anesthetists, Taksin Hospital. Research samples consisted of 241 patients selected by simple random sampling, and 17 nurse anesthetists selected by purposive sampling method. Research instruments were patient classification dictionary, nurse anesthetists activities dictionary, and nursing activities checklist. All instruments were tested for content validity. The content validity index was 0.8, and the inter-observer reliability score was 0.97. Statistical applied in this research were Percentage, Mean and Standard deviation. Staffing was calculated by Nursing Division Ministry of Public Health formula The major findings were as follows : 1.Mean score of nursing time per patient was 6.03 hours, consisted of direct patient care activities 4.77 hours and indirect patient care activities 1.26 hours. Nursing time used in non-patient care related activities was 1.49 hours per day. 2. Mean score of nursing time per patient for patients in category 1 (ASA class I), 2 (ASA class II), 3 (ASA class III), 4 (ASA class IV), and 5 (ASA class V) were 3.53 hours, 5.33 hours, 6.64 hours, 7.12 hours, and 7.53 hours, respectively, and consisted of direct patient care activities of 2.78 hours, 4.35 hours, 5.20 hours, 5.52 hours, and 6 hours, respectively, and indirect patient care activities of 0.75 hours, 0.98 hours, 1.44 hours, 1.60 hours, and 1.53 hours, respectively. 3. The numbers of nurse anesthetists needed in Department of Anesthesiology Taksin Hospital were 32 nurses. The present numbers of nurse anesthetists were 18 and 14 more were needed for the appropriate workload.