Nursing skill mix is a multidimensional concept, and has been
defined as the proportion of different nursing grades, and levels of
qualification, expertise and experience (Buchan & Dal Poz 2002;
Spilsbury & Meyer 2001). The overall goal of skill mix is to achieve
the most effective, flexible and cost-effective use of nursing
resources (McGillis Hall 1997). An inappropriate skill mix has
implications for the quality of patient care.
How does one discern what is the most appropriate nursing
configuration in order to provide the ‘best’ care or to ensure job
satisfaction? This is not an easy question to answer. Internationally,
there is increasing interest in seeking evidence on nursing
skill mix and quantifying its contribution towards patient, nurse
and organizational outcomes (for example McGillis Hall et al.
2001; Needleman et al. 2002). However, the challenge lies in deciphering
emerging knowledge on nursing skill mix to underpin
decisions in particular national contexts with different nursing
workforce profiles, such as Singapore. As yet, there are no data
from Singapore to support international research on nursing
skill mix.