NUR 621: Managing Human and Financial Resources
Assignment: Staffing Matrix and Reflection | Latest
Edition
Bridging the Spreadsheet and the Human Experience
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
This assignment integrates the technical precision of nurse staffing with the profound
human and ethical dimensions of workforce leadership. You will move between two
modes of thinking: the analytical (building a data-driven staffing tool) and the
contemplative (examining the moral weight of resource allocation decisions). This dual
approach reflects the reality of nursing leadership, where leaders must simultaneously
manage budgets and honor the humanity of their teams.
PART 1: THE MATRIX — A TOOL FOR PLANNING
Scenario: The Laurel Heights Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
Setting: 24-bed Progressive Care Unit at Laurel Heights Hospital, a 400-bed community
hospital serving a diverse urban-suburban population. The PCU cares for step-down
patients from ICU, including post-cardiac intervention, respiratory failure on non-invasive
ventilation, and complex post-surgical patients requiring continuous monitoring.
Your Role: Nurse Manager, responsible for 22.5 core staff FTEs and operational budget
accountability.
Current Context:
● Two senior RNs (Sarah Chen, 1.0 FTE and Marcus Johnson, 0.9 FTE) are on PTO
Wednesday-Thursday for a professional conference
, ● One LPN (Diana Ross, 0.8 FTE) is on limited duty (no lifting) for 6 weeks due to
injury
● Float pool availability: 48-hour notice required; maximum 2 shifts per week per
unit
● Agency staff restricted to emergency use only (requires Director approval)
● Current morale concerns: Staff have reported feeling "shortchanged" on
high-acuity days
PROVIDED DATA
A. Acuity Classification System (Laurel Heights PCU Modified)
TableCopy
Po Care
Level Description int Examples Hours
s Required
1
1 Post-cardiac cath Day 2, stable 4.0
Stable, routine care po
(Low) telemetry hrs/shift
int
2
2 Requires frequent
po New insulin drip, BiPAP weaning, chest 6.0
(Mod monitoring/interventio
int tube hrs/shift
erate) n
s
3
3
Complex, unstable, po Post-ICU transfer on multiple drips, 8.5
(High
high intervention int trach care hrs/shift
)
s
, 4
4 Borderline ICU,
po Active weaning from ventilator, CRRT 12.0
(Criti intensive nursing
int step-down, hemodynamic instability hrs/shift
cal) needs
s
Staffing Formula: Total Acuity Points × 0.4 = Required Nursing Hours per Shift
(Example: 20 total points × 0.4 = 8.0 FTE nursing hours needed = approximately 2.0 RNs
for 12-hour shifts, adjusted for skill mix)
B. Core Staff Roster (Available for Scheduling)
TableCopy
FTE Shift
Name Role Notes
Status Preference
RN Staff
Elena RN, BSN,
1.0 FTE Days 8 years experience, preceptor
Rodriguez Charge
James Park RN, BSN 1.0 FTE Days 3 years experience
Aisha
RN, BSN 0.9 FTE Days 5 years experience, wound care cert
Thompson
Sarah Chen RN, MSN 1.0 FTE Days PTO Wed-Thu, 12 years experience
Assignment: Staffing Matrix and Reflection | Latest
Edition
Bridging the Spreadsheet and the Human Experience
ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW
This assignment integrates the technical precision of nurse staffing with the profound
human and ethical dimensions of workforce leadership. You will move between two
modes of thinking: the analytical (building a data-driven staffing tool) and the
contemplative (examining the moral weight of resource allocation decisions). This dual
approach reflects the reality of nursing leadership, where leaders must simultaneously
manage budgets and honor the humanity of their teams.
PART 1: THE MATRIX — A TOOL FOR PLANNING
Scenario: The Laurel Heights Progressive Care Unit (PCU)
Setting: 24-bed Progressive Care Unit at Laurel Heights Hospital, a 400-bed community
hospital serving a diverse urban-suburban population. The PCU cares for step-down
patients from ICU, including post-cardiac intervention, respiratory failure on non-invasive
ventilation, and complex post-surgical patients requiring continuous monitoring.
Your Role: Nurse Manager, responsible for 22.5 core staff FTEs and operational budget
accountability.
Current Context:
● Two senior RNs (Sarah Chen, 1.0 FTE and Marcus Johnson, 0.9 FTE) are on PTO
Wednesday-Thursday for a professional conference
, ● One LPN (Diana Ross, 0.8 FTE) is on limited duty (no lifting) for 6 weeks due to
injury
● Float pool availability: 48-hour notice required; maximum 2 shifts per week per
unit
● Agency staff restricted to emergency use only (requires Director approval)
● Current morale concerns: Staff have reported feeling "shortchanged" on
high-acuity days
PROVIDED DATA
A. Acuity Classification System (Laurel Heights PCU Modified)
TableCopy
Po Care
Level Description int Examples Hours
s Required
1
1 Post-cardiac cath Day 2, stable 4.0
Stable, routine care po
(Low) telemetry hrs/shift
int
2
2 Requires frequent
po New insulin drip, BiPAP weaning, chest 6.0
(Mod monitoring/interventio
int tube hrs/shift
erate) n
s
3
3
Complex, unstable, po Post-ICU transfer on multiple drips, 8.5
(High
high intervention int trach care hrs/shift
)
s
, 4
4 Borderline ICU,
po Active weaning from ventilator, CRRT 12.0
(Criti intensive nursing
int step-down, hemodynamic instability hrs/shift
cal) needs
s
Staffing Formula: Total Acuity Points × 0.4 = Required Nursing Hours per Shift
(Example: 20 total points × 0.4 = 8.0 FTE nursing hours needed = approximately 2.0 RNs
for 12-hour shifts, adjusted for skill mix)
B. Core Staff Roster (Available for Scheduling)
TableCopy
FTE Shift
Name Role Notes
Status Preference
RN Staff
Elena RN, BSN,
1.0 FTE Days 8 years experience, preceptor
Rodriguez Charge
James Park RN, BSN 1.0 FTE Days 3 years experience
Aisha
RN, BSN 0.9 FTE Days 5 years experience, wound care cert
Thompson
Sarah Chen RN, MSN 1.0 FTE Days PTO Wed-Thu, 12 years experience
