Abstract: Objective: To apply the WHO Workload Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) and validate its applicability for operating room nursing staffing in China, providing a reference for nursing human resource evaluation in China. Methods: Using operating rooms from two tertiary general hospitals and two tertiary specialty hospitals in Beijing as data collection units, we collected required data from WISN, calculated and analyzed it using the WISN software tool. Based on the actual number of staff in the operating rooms of sample medical institutions, the results calculated by the WISN were verified by applying the number of staff configured according to the traditional bed-to-nurse ratio of 1:3 and converting the actual overtime hours into equivalent staff numbers. Results: The staffing demand derived from WISN analysis showed an error rate of 0.7% to 2.9% compared with actual workforce conditions. The WISN demand gap ranged from -19 to +3 nurses, while overtime hours conversion revealed a demand difference of -18 to +2 nurses. The stress ratio between the three hospitals was <1. Conclusion: WISN is suitable for Chinese operating room nursing specialties, accurately reflecting staffing needs and nurse workloads, providing managers with more objective and clinically relevant surgical nursing human resource allocation plans.

Key words: operating room nurse; human resource allocation; Workload Indicators of Staffing Need