Abstract
Objective: When unexpected situations such as major disasters arise, operations in medical institutions cannot be interrupted, especially in ICUs. This study was designed to analyze the impact of interruptions of ICU operations by applying a Business Impact Analysis (BIA).
Methods: The components of operations were examined employing a BIA questionnaire regarding all nursing operations. These components included the priority of operations as well as the time, number of staff, and utilities required for each. On the basis of priority, operations were classified into four ranks (S, A, B, and C). Next, nursing operations were monitored for one month, and the lengths of time required for specific operations were investigated. The total time per month required for each operation was calculated by multiplying the time required by the frequency of each operation.
Results: Nursing operations had 65 components. The higher-level operations required more highly skilled nurses and more utilities. The S-ranked operations required 25% of the total time, and the A-ranked operations required 47%.
Conclusions: Higher-priority tasks take a longer time, higher skills, and substantial resources. To maintain ICU operations, it is necessary to manage human resources and resource supplies. BIA should also be performed for other sections. It is necessary to establish a system that can be deployed with adequate staffing.
