Workload measurement in a community care program.

The delivery of services in the community is a expanding area of health care due to the rapid shift from institutional to community care. However, limited attention has been given to accurately predict or measure nursing resource utilization. A workload measurement tool developed by the community care program at WestView Health Centre (Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada) sought to address the unique challenges of determining workload while caring for clients in their own homes. The implementation of this tool facilitated improved understanding of work requirements associated with each client on caseload. The continued use of this tool will lead to refinement of case mix and professional utilization, and may show benefits in the future for novice nurse growth, staff retention, and satisfaction.