| Course | NSG 321 Advanced Leadership and Management |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 2 |
| Paper type | Staffing and assignment plan |
| Length | About 590 words, 5 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Herzing University |
| Program | RN to BSN |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NSG 321 Unit 2
Staffing and Assignment Plan for a Night Shift With 26 Patients and a Float Nurse on a Surgical Unit
Student Name
Department of Nursing, Herzing University
NSG 321: Advanced Leadership and Management
Instructor Name
January 29, 2026
Staffing and Assignment Plan for a Night Shift With 26 Patients and a Float Nurse on a Surgical Unit
The Situation at 7 p.m.
Unit: 28-bed general surgical unit, composite. Census at 7 p.m.: 26 patients, with 2 expected admissions from the post-anesthesia care unit before 11 p.m. Staff present: five registered nurses, one licensed practical nurse, and two nursing assistants, instead of the three scheduled, because one called out sick. The RNs are Ana, charge nurse, 12 years' experience; Ben, 6 years, chemotherapy-competent; Chloe, 3 years; David, float nurse from a medical unit, experienced but new to surgical patients and not validated on epidural monitoring; and Emma, a new graduate in her fourth month, off orientation for three weeks. The LPN is Frank, 10 years' experience. Acuity was rated with the unit's four-level tool at the end of day shift: 4 patients at level 4 (highest), 9 at level 3, 10 at level 2, and 3 at level 1.
Principles Guiding the Assignment
Staffing guidance emphasizes matching nurses to patients based on patient needs, nurse competence, and the unit's context rather than on a fixed ratio alone (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2020). Four rules followed from that for this shift. Skills that only some nurses hold, such as epidural monitoring and chemotherapy, go to nurses validated in them. The new graduate receives a manageable assignment with no patient at the highest acuity. The float nurse receives patients typical of her home unit's skills. The charge nurse keeps a reduced assignment so she can take the two admissions, support Emma, and respond to rapid changes.
The Assignment
Patients are grouped by acuity, skill needs, and geography so that each nurse's rooms are close together.
| Nurse | Patients | Acuity mix | Why this group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ana (charge) | 2 patients now; both admissions | One level 3, one level 2; admissions expected level 3 | Keeps capacity for admissions, support, and emergencies |
| Ben | 5 patients | Two level 4 (one on epidural, one on chemotherapy), one level 3, two level 2 | Only RN validated for both epidural and chemotherapy |
| Chloe | 5 patients, plus oversight of Frank's 3 | Two level 4 (post-op day 0 bowel resection; GI bleed on transfusion), two level 3, one level 2 | Experienced with complex abdominal surgery; nearest to Frank's rooms |
| David (float) | 6 patients | Three level 3 medical-type post-op (pneumonia, diabetes management), three level 2 | Matches medical-unit skills; no epidural or drain-heavy patients |
| Emma (new graduate) | 5 patients | Two level 3, two level 2, one level 1 | No level 4 patients; rooms next to charge nurse |
| Frank (LPN) | 3 stable patients, with RN oversight by Chloe; wound care for 4 patients across teams | One level 2, two level 1 | Within LPN scope; relieves RN workload |
| Nursing assistants (2) | 13 patients each for vital signs, turning, toileting | Mixed | One assistant short; see adjustments below |
Adjustments for the Missing Assistant
With two assistants instead of three, each covers 13 patients rather than about 9. The plan adjusts in four ways. RNs perform the 4 a.m. vital signs for their own level 4 patients, which they would be assessing at that time anyway. Turning schedules for the four patients at high risk of pressure injury are posted on the assignment board, and the charge nurse checks them at midnight and 4 a.m. Nonurgent tasks, such as linen changes for stable patients, move to the morning. The house supervisor was asked at 7 p.m. for a replacement assistant or a sitter to cover a confused patient; if none is available by 11 p.m., the charge nurse will reassess.
Support for the New Graduate and the Float Nurse
Emma's rooms are next to the charge nurse, who will round with her at 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. and be her first call. Emma was told explicitly that calling for help early is expected, a message new graduates often need to hear from the charge nurse directly (Marquis & Huston, 2021). David was paired with Chloe as a resource for surgical questions, such as drain output or wound assessment, and was shown where the post-operative order sets and surgeon call list are kept.
Why Assignment, Not Only Ratio, Matters
The overall ratio tonight, about one RN to 5.2 patients, is within the unit's usual range. But the ratio says nothing about who can care for the patient on an epidural, whether the new graduate has a safe load, or what happens when the second admission arrives at 10:30 p.m. Research has linked shifts with registered nurse staffing below target, and high patient turnover, to higher mortality (Needleman et al., 2011), which is why the charge nurse's capacity for the admissions is protected in this plan rather than filled.
References
American Nurses Association. (2020). ANA's principles for nurse staffing (3rd ed.). American Nurses Association.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (10th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
Needleman, J., Buerhaus, P., Pankratz, V. S., Leibson, C. L., Stevens, S. R., & Harris, M. (2011). Nurse staffing and inpatient hospital mortality. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(11), 1037-1045. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa1001025
Reading the NSG 321 Unit 2 instructions
Unit 2 asks you to plan staffing and patient assignments for a shift. Expect to describe the situation, state the principles guiding assignment, present the assignment, adjust for shortages, support less experienced staff and explain the reasoning. Many versions ask whether this is the same as a ratio calculation and how to account for acuity. Check whether your section expects a table. Ratios describe totals; assignments decide which nurse cares for which patients, which is where safety is won or lost. Acuity, skills, geography and continuity all matter. Be honest when a shift is short and show how the plan compensates. Support for new graduates and float nurses should be specific, such as scheduled rounds.
Inside the NSG 321 Unit 2 example
The plan opens with the situation in a few lines: census, admissions, staff and who is missing. The principles section lists what guides the assignment, such as acuity and competence. The assignment table groups patients by nurse with acuity and location. The shortage section explains how tasks are redistributed when one assistant is missing, including which tasks nurses absorb. The support section names specific steps for the new graduate and the float nurse. The final section explains that the overall ratio looks acceptable but that distribution of high-acuity patients is what makes the shift safe or not. Each decision connects to a principle, so the reasoning can be followed and challenged.
NSG 321 Unit 2 rubric: what full points look like
Herzing's rubric for a staffing plan typically covers the situation, guiding principles, the assignment itself, adjustments for shortage, support for staff and the rationale. The assignment and its rationale draw the closest reading, because graders check that acuity and competence, not just numbers, drove each choice. Principle points reward sources such as ANA's staffing principles. Shortage criteria look for specific redistribution. Support earns credit for named steps for new and float staff. Geography and continuity may be credited within the assignment. A readable table helps. A plan naming which nurse takes the expected admissions, and why, are usually credited. ANA's 2020 staffing principles and Needleman's staffing study belong in the APA 7 list.
NSG 321 Unit 2 help before you submit
Staffing plans in Unit 2 commonly lose points by dividing patients evenly without considering acuity. Another frequent problem is ignoring geography, which sends nurses across the unit all night. Students often skip the shortage or treat it as someone else's problem. New graduates are given heavy assignments without support. The float nurse's competence is not checked against assigned patients. Admissions are not planned for. The rationale is missing. Finally, explain why ratio is not enough, because graders reward plans that show distribution of high-acuity patients, not total numbers, determines whether a shift is safe. Another gap is forgetting the charge nurse's own workload; a charge nurse with a full assignment cannot support the new graduate. Break coverage should also be planned, since breaks are when thin staffing shows most.
Get a NSG 321 Unit 2 example written to your instructions
Send the Unit 2 instructions and the rubric from your NSG 321 classroom, plus the shift, census and staff your plan allocates. We write a custom example that assigns with reasoning, plans the contingencies and names the trade-offs, returned in 24 to 48 hours. The first custom sample is free.
More NSG 321 papers and RN-to-BSN samples
- NSG 321 Unit 1: Delegation and supervision analysis
- NSG 321 Unit 3: Performance feedback conversation
- NSG 321 Unit 4: Team communication redesign
- NSG 321 Unit 5: Resource justification memo
- NSG 321 Unit 6: Just culture event review
- NSG 321 Unit 7: Staff retention plan
- NSG 321 Unit 8: Management action plan
- NU 305 Unit 2: Legal accountability analysis
- NU 345 Unit 2: Functional health pattern assessment
- NU 476 Unit 2: Practice gap evidenced at the site
- NSG 323 Unit 2: Family home visit assessment
NSG 321 Unit 2 questions, answered
Is this the same as a staffing ratio calculation?
No, and confusing the two is the usual error. A ratio tells you how many nurses the unit should have; an assignment plan allocates the ones you actually have to the patients who are actually there. The assignment work is about competency, acuity distribution, geography and contingency, none of which a ratio addresses.
How do I account for acuity?
Use whatever tool your unit applies and say what it measures, or describe the patients specifically enough that the workload is visible. Six patients requiring frequent intervention is a heavier assignment than eight stable ones, and a plan distributing by count alone will produce an imbalance anybody on the shift could have predicted.
Should I admit the shift is short?
Yes, and say what you traded. Charge nurses routinely allocate a shift that cannot fully meet every need, and the skill is in choosing what gives way and monitoring the consequence. A plan asserting that everything was covered on visibly thin staffing reads as untested, whereas naming the compromise reads as competent.
Where can I find a free NSG 321 Unit 2 sample paper?
Read the complete NSG 321 Unit 2 night shift staffing plan here at no charge, the assignment table, shortage adjustments and support for new staff. A plan for your own unit and census can be prepared on request.
How do charge nurses make patient assignments?
They group patients by acuity, required skills and room location, match them to nurse competence, plan for admissions and support new or float staff. This sample does that for a night shift short one nursing assistant.