CALCULATING FTEs
FTE—full time equivalents, is the number of employees it takes to efficiently run the
ward. FTEs are dependent on the size of unit; type of unit; acuity; patient to staff ratios;
productivity goals; expertise of employees; federal, state, local, institutional policies
regarding staffing levels and OT; interdependence with other departments; turnover rates
which lead to new hires and thus non-productive orientation time. Calculating FTEs per
hospital ward is important for both staffing and budgeting.
DETERMINE FTEs
Step 1.)
Calculate workload
Workload = HPPD x number of patient days
HPPD is hours per patient day—this number comes from average
acuity for the unit and the associated hours. It is information
retrieved from the patient classification system, and is developed
over time.
Number of patient days is the count of the number of patients on
the ward each day for a specified period and then totaled.
Step 2.)
Determine productive time.
FTE =2080 hours per year (40 hours x 52 weeks).
This number represents both productive and non-productive time.
To determine how many FTEs you will need, you have to
understand that this means productive FTEs (you can’t staff a unit
with nurses who are on vacation).
To determine productive time, you total non-productive time and
subtract it from FTE hours.
Non productive time is made up of vacation, holiday, sick time,
and personal days. Total these days and convert to hours (total
days x 8 hours).
Productive time = 2080 hours – total non-productive time in hours
per FTE
Step 3.)
Calculate FTEs
FTEs = workload divided by total productive time per FTE.
Workload also known as “total patient care hours”
Step 4.)
Convert to 24/7
What you have figured so far is for one shift. To cover 24/7, it is
estimated it requires an additional .2 FTEs per FTE for each of the
other shifts (so 2 more shifts equal .4 per FTE). Therefore to
budget for a 24/7 unit you have to figure 1.4 FTEs for every FTE
you calculate.
EXAMPLE:
Here is the information the nurse manager has to have to calculate FTEs:
Average acuity for your surgical unit equals 4 which translates into 9
hours per patient day (these numbers come from a classification system).
For the period we are interested in, there are anticipated 6656 patient days.
Vacation: 15 days
Holiday: 7 days
Sick : 4 days
Total
26 days converted to hours equals 208 (of non-productive time
per FTE)
Step 1:
Workload = HPPD x # of patient days; 9 x 6656 = 59904 (workload)
Step 2:
Productive time = total FTE hours – non productive hours; 2080 – 208 = 1872
(productive time = 1872)
Step 3:
FTEs = workload divided by productive time: 59904/1872 = 32 (FTEs) needed to
staff the unit for the period for one shift.
Step 4:
Convert to 24/7
Total FTEs = 32 x 1.4 = 44.8 FTEs needed to staff the unit 24/7.
The next thing a nurse manager must do is schedule this staff so that indeed the unit is
adequately covered on each shift 24/7.