Patient Workload Calculator

Patient Levels

• 1LowScore 0–7 · Predictable care with relatively low nursing workload.
• 2ModerateScore 8–13 · Regular monitoring and interventions, generally manageable.
• 3ElevatedScore 14–19 · Noticeably more nursing time across several areas of care.
• 4HighScore 20–26 · High nursing workload with frequent interventions, reassessment, or competing care needs.
• 5Very HighScore 27+ · Very frequent nursing attention, often with instability or escalation risk.

How scoring works

Pick the level that best describes the patient's expected workload this shift. 10 categories × 3 points = 30 base points. Each 3 adds bonus weight, so the true maximum is 48.

• +2for a 3 in Respiratory, Cardiac, Neurological, or Hemodynamics — deterioration risk on top of the workload — or in Mobility / ADLs, where a 3 is total care: the same nursing time, without the instability.
• +1for a 3 in any of the remaining categories. A separate 0–3 clinical deterioration modifier adds for recent changes in condition.

Assignments & target ranges

Add up one nurse's patients — each contributes its acuity level as assignment points — and compare the total against a target range for your unit type to see whether the assignment is light, balanced, or heavy.

• 3–4 Patient UnitTarget 7–10

  PCU and step-down patients usually run acuity 2–3. Four at level 2 = 8; a level 3 plus two level-2s = 7. Fewer patients, but each is heavier, so the ceiling sits at 10.

  One level 4–5 patient already eats 4–5 points, so the rest must be lighter or fewer.

• 4–6 Patient UnitTarget 8–12

  Med-surg and lower-acuity tele patients usually run 1–2. Six at level 2 = 12; five averaging ~1.6 = 8. More patients, but each is lighter, so the total only climbs a little higher.

  The wider ceiling reflects those extra beds — room for a couple more level-2s before the assignment tips to heavy.

These ranges describe a full, sustainable assignment — not a ratio or a cap. A total above the band flags balance to review, not an unsafe assignment. This tool supports that comparison; it does not recommend ratios, set staffing, or replace clinical judgment or hospital policy.