Abstract: Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of nursing human resources in ten tertiary grade-A hospitals in Guangdong province. Methods: By convenience sampling, we collected data from cardiovascular departments in ten tertiary grade-A hospitals in Guangdong province in 2018 between January and December. The data included three nursing input indicators (the number of nurses and the average time that nurses caring for patients per day, the number of beds), and two nursing output indicators (the number of critically ill patients, the number of in-patients per year). Moreover, the data were analyzed by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model. Results: In 2018, the overall efficiency in ten hospitals was 0.917, and 4 units (40%) in overall efficiency=1; pure technical efficiency score was 0.977, and 7 units (70%) of pure technical efficiency=1; total scale efficiency was 0.939, and 4 units (40%) of scale efficiency=1. Conclusion: The overall efficiency of nursing human resources in cardiology department of these tertiary grade-A hospitals is not high, and there are problems such as input redundancy or insufficient output, etc. Managers could optimize the allocation of nursing human resources and improve nursing efficiency by strengthening scientific post management, establishing scientific performance appraisal system and training system.

Key words: cardiology department; nursing efficiency; Data Envelope Analysis