NCH is typically calculated by adding up the total hours worked by all nursing staff (including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and nursing assistants) and dividing by the number of patients within a given timeframe. For example, if three nurses each work 8-hour shifts over a 24-hour period, and they care for a total of 10 patients, the NCH would be (3 nurses x 8 hours) / 10 patients = 2.4 NCH per patient.
