Several definitions exist.

• One is the amount of time or attention expected to be needed by a patient.
• A more commonly-used definition is that used here: nearness to discharge.
• A patient who is near discharge has a low acuity score (1 on a scale of 1 to 4).
• A patient who is most acute or least stable will have a score of 4.
• Acuity scores are used for patient assignments.  Nurse managers consider acuity when making assignments.  When patients have high acuity, fewer are assigned.

Go to other assessments.