Boned-Galán Ángel, López-Ibort Nieves, Gil-Lacruz Ana I, Gómez-Baca Carmen Angustias, Gascón-Catalán Ana
Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Miguel Servet University Hospital, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragon), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Sep 4;13(17):2215. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13172215.
: First-Line Nurse Managers (FLNMs) have been recognised as key contributors to achieving organisational objectives, serving as vital intermediaries between management, staff, and patients. Assessing whether the Span of Control (SOC) is appropriate and providing the necessary support for FLNMs to fulfil their responsibilities poses a considerable challenge for healthcare organisations. No tool exists in Spain to guide decisions regarding FLNM's SOC and resource needs. The aim of this study is to design a tool for assessing the span of control of first-line nurse managers in hospitals. : This study employed a tool development and content validation design to create the EASOC-Nursing instrument (Eliges Aragón SOC tool). The study was conducted in three stages: an integrative literature review, followed by a national Delphi study with 43 experts in nursing management, and finally, focus group discussions. : A tool was created to assess first-line nurse managers' (FLNM) span of control (SOC) using 13 key indicators, organised into four categories: unit (operations and resources, conflicts, and logging and monitoring of activities), professional (staff and competencies), FLNM (autonomy, education, and leadership), and organisation (support systems, education, and research). It includes a total of 31 items and determines SOC adequacy by establishing cut-off points that classify it as below acceptable, appropriate, or excessive. When the SOC is inadequate, the tool provides specific recommendations for support measures, such as the provision of administrative personnel or the appointment of a co-leader. : The EASOC-Nursing tool offers a comprehensive evaluation of the core dimensions of the FLNM role and its responsibilities in Spain. Furthermore, it delivers practical guidance on the most suitable types of support to facilitate the attainment of optimal outcomes for both patients and healthcare organisations. In light of the global nursing shortage, the availability of a robust and context-sensitive instrument to assess the SOC enables hospital nursing management to allocate resources more strategically, thereby enhancing working conditions for professionals and contributing to improved patient care outcomes.
一线护士长（FLNMs）被认为是实现组织目标的关键贡献者，是管理层、员工和患者之间至关重要的中间环节。评估控制范围（SOC）是否合适，并为一线护士长履行职责提供必要支持，对医疗保健组织构成了相当大的挑战。西班牙没有工具来指导关于一线护士长控制范围和资源需求的决策。本研究的目的是设计一种工具，用于评估医院一线护士长的控制范围。
本研究采用工具开发和内容验证设计来创建EASOC - 护理工具（埃斯特雷马杜拉自治区控制范围工具）。该研究分三个阶段进行：综合文献综述，随后是与43名护理管理专家进行的全国德尔菲研究，最后是焦点小组讨论。
创建了一种工具，使用13个关键指标来评估一线护士长（FLNM）的控制范围（SOC），这些指标分为四类：科室（运营与资源、冲突以及活动记录与监控）、专业（员工与能力）、一线护士长（自主权、教育和领导力）以及组织（支持系统、教育和研究）。它总共包括31个项目，并通过设定分类为低于可接受、合适或过度的临界点来确定控制范围是否充足。当控制范围不足时，该工具会提供支持措施的具体建议，例如提供行政人员或任命联合领导。
EASOC - 护理工具对西班牙一线护士长角色及其职责的核心维度进行了全面评估。此外，它还为最适合的支持类型提供了实用指导，以促进为患者和医疗保健组织实现最佳结果。鉴于全球护理短缺，拥有一个强大且符合实际情况的工具来评估控制范围，能够使医院护理管理更具战略性地分配资源，从而改善专业人员的工作条件并有助于提高患者护理效果。
