Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)
Nursing Management & leadership
Easy

1 Chief Nursing officer is posted on how many beds-

Appeared in: Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Explanation

  • The correct ratio for the post of a Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) is 1 per 500 beds.
  • This staffing norm is recommended by the Staff Inspection Unit (SIU), a body set up by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
  • The Indian Nursing Council (INC) and Trained Nurses' Association of India (TNAI) also endorse this norm.
  • A CNO is the highest administrative authority in the nursing department, and this position is typically created only in large hospitals with a bed strength of 500 or more to manage the extensive nursing services.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: The ratio of 1:300 is incorrect for a Chief Nursing Officer. It applies to a lower administrative post.
  • Option B: The ratio of 1:400 is not the standard for a Chief Nursing Officer.
  • Option D: The ratio of 1:600 is not a standard benchmark for any specific high-level nursing administrative post according to the primary staffing norms (SIU/INC).

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Staffing norms for nursing administration in hospitals as per SIU/INC guidelines helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • Understanding staffing norms is crucial for nursing management, ensuring adequate leadership, supervision, and allocation of resources for patient care.
  • These hierarchical posts (CNO, NS, DNS) are essential for maintaining the quality of nursing care, implementing hospital policies, managing budgets, and promoting the professional development of nursing staff.
  • What if the hospital has 400 beds? In that case, the highest nursing administrative post would typically be a Nursing Superintendent (NS), as the CNO position is reserved for hospitals with 500 or more beds.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key terms in the question: 'Chief Nursing Officer' and 'how many beds'.
  • Recognize that this is a factual recall question related to nursing administration and management.
  • Recall the standard staffing norms established by regulatory bodies in India, such as the Staff Inspection Unit (SIU) or the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
  • The norm for the highest nursing post, the CNO, is linked to the largest hospital size category, which is 500 beds.
  • Eliminate other options by associating them with different posts. For example, 1:300 is a common ratio for the Deputy Nursing Superintendent.
  • Select the option that matches the established norm for a CNO.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Staffing norms for nursing administration in hospitals as per SIU/INC guidelines.
  • Stem keywords: Chief Nursing Officer, posted, beds
  • Lead-in keywords: how many

Question ID

Q4n-Pcoe1R5tRNUEjl0ZC2

Reference Book

E6 Nursing_Management_and_leadership_Johny_Kutty_JosephCbs_Publishers (pp 16-364 of 374) p. 103-105

E6 Textbook of Nursing Management and Leadership I. Clemen — Subpart A (pp 26-327 of 982) p. 223-225

E6 Principles and Practice of NURSING Management Leadership for BSc Nursing 3rd Edi Jogindra Vati — Subpart A (pp 26-339 of 1017) p. 238-240

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