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Nurse manager tools
The staffing, budget and workforce math nurse managers use every month, and that the CNML® exam expects you to know. Each tool shows the formula, a worked example and its sources. Everything runs in your browser.
Staffing & productivity
The numbers behind every schedule: HPPD, FTEs, census and ratios.
HPPD calculator
Calculate nursing hours per patient day (HPPD) from productive hours and patient days, or work out the hours a shift needs to hit a target HPPD.
Open toolNurse staffing FTE calculator
Turn a target HPPD and average daily census into productive and paid FTEs, with nonproductive time. Plus FTE from weekly hours (36 hours = 0.9 FTE).
Open toolAverage daily census calculator
Calculate average daily census (ADC) from patient days, plus bed occupancy rate and average length of stay. Worked example from the CNML handbook.
Open toolNurse-to-patient ratio calculator
Work out how many nurses a shift needs for a nurse-to-patient ratio such as 1:4 or 1:5, and the RN hours per patient day that ratio implies.
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Budget & workforce
Variance analysis, turnover and vacancy, the way nurse managers report them.
Budget variance calculator
Calculate budget variance in dollars and percent and see if it is favorable or unfavorable, then split a labor variance into volume and rate variances.
Open toolTurnover & vacancy rate calculator
Calculate annualized nurse turnover rate from separations and average headcount, and RN vacancy rate from unfilled and budgeted FTEs (NSI formula).
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Study reference
Key CNML® terms, defined in plain language.
Exam practice
Check where you stand before the CNML® exam.