Measuring ICU workload to improve safety and nurse well‑being
Official title: Advancing Workload Measurement in Critical Care to Improve Patient Safety and Clinician Well-being
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11347022 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project using electronic health record data to build a real-time, multi-level model of ICU nursing workload to improve patient safety and support nurses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $847,912 |
| NIH project number | 1R01NR022286-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11347022 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adult ICU patients and ICU nursing staff at participating centers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients in ICUs outside participating centers or with conditions not impacting nursing workload may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This grant aims to use data already in electronic health records to create a real-time model of ICU nursing workload. A systems engineering, human-centered design approach will guide the development and validation of a workload model derived from structured EHR data. The team will demonstrate that key performance factors can be captured in real time and that the model is scalable, generalizable, and easy to use to guide ICU improvements. The ultimate goal is to support a clinical decision tool for real-time workload monitoring, prediction, and safety enhancements in ICUs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, ICUs could run safer, more efficient staffing with less nurse burnout and better patient outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that real-time, data-driven workload models are feasible in healthcare, but this project aims to build a validated ICU-specific model from EHR data.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: France, Daniel Joseph — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: France, Daniel Joseph
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.