The Community nursing tool (CN) is part of a suite of tools available. These tools help NHS Scotland services plan the number of staff they need.
The CN tool for district, health visiting and school nurses.
The tool
This tool provides information based on workload data.
Each individual within a team enters their workload information into the tool daily.
The tool collects workload information on:
- direct interventions
- clinics
- associated workload
- travel
- exceptions
This information provides a workload profile via BOXI report.
The tool does not currently provide staffing recommendations in whole time equivalents (WTE). A national run of the Community Nursing Tool will take place in 2023.
The aim of this is to support the development of a national multiplier. This will provide a recommended WTE, informing appropriate staffing levels.
How to use this tool
Use this tool alongside the Professional Judgement (PJ) tool and the Quality tool.
The current national recommendation is to run the tools for a two-week period, at least once per year.
Use the data capture template from the table below to record answers. This data can then be uploaded onto the SSTS platform.
Use the outputs from the tools, as part of the Common Staffing Method (CSM), to inform safe and effective staffing for your service.
The following video guides and documents provide information on completing this tool. They provide detailed information from how to log in to how to gather and submit data.
Resources to support you
| Resource | Source | What it is and what it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Resource | Source Healthcare Improvement Scotland | What it is and what it’s for Step by step guide to background of CN Tool and data collection |
| Resource | Source Healthcare Improvement Scotland | What it is and what it’s for Step by step guide to uploading data onto SSTS platform |
| Resource Community nursing user guide and FAQs (PDF 1989k) | Source Healthcare Improvement Scotland | What it is and what it’s for User guide on for the CN tool |
| Resource Community nursing data capture template (PDF 578k) | Source Healthcare Improvement Scotland | What it is and what it’s for Printable data capture template |
| Resource | Source TURAS | What it is and what it’s for A variety of learning resources to support understanding workload and workforce planning and the application of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. |
| Resource | Source Healthcare Improvement Scotland | What it is and what it’s for Printable checklist to aid tool run preparation and delivery |