신생아집중치료실 간호사의 상대적 간호업무효율성 분석

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the job performance efficiency of nurses in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Additionally, the study aimed to provide a detailed method to improve the currently inefficient way in which nurses perform their jobs by differentiating the reference group of more efficient nurses, and to compare the characteristics of the more efficient group of nurses to those of the less efficient group of nurses.Methodology: This study evaluated the relative job performance efficiency of nurses by applying DEA to 43 nurses in the NICU. The input variables for the efficiency analysis were working career (years), time spent in direct nursing care (hours), overtime (hours), and job-related training (hours); the output variables were the job performance scores of professional practice, research, leadership, and education. Data were analyzed using SPSS IBM 23.0 and Open Source DEA (OSDEA).Findings: The relative job performance efficiency of the 43 nurses was 0.933, and 20 nurses were evaluated as more efficient. In addition, the study confirmed the possibility of improving the overall job performance efficiency by improving leadership, while controlling the current input variables. Lastly, the more efficient nurses had significantly higher job performance scores for research (t=2.028, p=0.049), leadership (t=2.036, p=0.048), and education (t=2995, p=0.005) than those who were less efficient.Practical Implications: It is suggested that job performance be evaluated using DEA to improve the overall job performance efficiency of NICU nurses. The analysis results from DEA for nurses becomes evidence in support of establishing individualized goals for each nurse, thus resulting in a foundation for systematic human resource management of nurses, and ultimately contributing to increase in the job performance efficiency of nurses.