The Nursing Activities Score (NAS) is a tool used to assess the nursing workload in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Its application is important to manage human resources and optimize care for critically ill patients. It quantifies nurses work by measuring different nursing activities in direct care, supervision, charting, among others, according to the complexity and time spent on each task.

Studies have proven that NAS provides a clearer view of the workload demand, facilitating the distribution of nurses according to the severity of patients and the necessary workload. Additionally, it helps identify potential gaps in care coverage and the need to increase the number of professionals during times of high demand, preventing the overload and burnout of nursing teams.

The implementation of NAS can also contribute to the improvement of care quality, as it allows monitoring the association between workload and patient outcomes. A high score may be correlated with a higher incidence of adverse events and complications, indicating the need for practical interventions to support nurses and improve patient safety.

A workload assessment score like NAS is not the only element used to the determine nursing care needs; however, it provides management with objective data to support its decisions.

The NAS proves to be a valuable tool in ICUs, not only optimizing nursing resources management, but also ensuring that the care provided to critically ill patients is safe and effective.

Andrea Silva completed her degree in Nursing in 1998. In 2009 she finished her specialty in medical & surgical care nursing, post-graduated in health care management since 2018. She also has advanced and supplemental competences in management and clinical supervision, recognized by the Portuguese nursing order. She’s been working in the polyvalent intensive care unit at ULSEDV, Portugal, since 1998, providing direct care to critically ill patients and providing management in her unit, as well as being a member of the in-hospital emergency team.