Zachary Perpetua, Jennifer Lennon, Judith A Shovel, Katherine E Appell, Leah Patterson, Susan C Martin, Tamra E Minnier, Rachel Sackrowitz, Rachel L Zapf, Paula L Kip, Maribeth McLaughlin
{"title":"A Current State Assessment on Nursing Work Activities: An Observational Study.","authors":"Zachary Perpetua, Jennifer Lennon, Judith A Shovel, Katherine E Appell, Leah Patterson, Susan C Martin, Tamra E Minnier, Rachel Sackrowitz, Rachel L Zapf, Paula L Kip, Maribeth McLaughlin","doi":"10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000723","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nationwide nursing shortages have led to higher patient-to-nurse ratios, nursing burnout, and decreased quality of care.</p><p><strong>Local problem: </strong>Staffing challenges and nursing burnout were becoming growing concerns and success was contingent upon efficient use of existing resources.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Direct observation current state assessment was completed on medical-surgical specialty units to better understand work activities of registered nurses (RNs) and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>RNs spent more time performing indirect care (eg, documentation) than direct patient care. Interruptions and problems consumed 17.4% and 5.6% of their time, respectively. UAPs performed more direct patient care but had a higher proportion of downtime. RNs underdelegated nonclinical tasks.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Direct observation current state assessment offers a better understanding of workflow and workload inefficiencies. This information is critical to provide informed, evidence-based recommendations to develop future patient care models with more capacity to deliver high-quality care with greater efficiency and lessen nursing burden and burnout during the nursing shortage crisis.</p>","PeriodicalId":16931,"journal":{"name":"Journal of nursing care quality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of nursing care quality","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000723","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/6/2 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Nationwide nursing shortages have led to higher patient-to-nurse ratios, nursing burnout, and decreased quality of care.
Local problem: Staffing challenges and nursing burnout were becoming growing concerns and success was contingent upon efficient use of existing resources.
Methods: Direct observation current state assessment was completed on medical-surgical specialty units to better understand work activities of registered nurses (RNs) and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs).
Results: RNs spent more time performing indirect care (eg, documentation) than direct patient care. Interruptions and problems consumed 17.4% and 5.6% of their time, respectively. UAPs performed more direct patient care but had a higher proportion of downtime. RNs underdelegated nonclinical tasks.
Conclusions: Direct observation current state assessment offers a better understanding of workflow and workload inefficiencies. This information is critical to provide informed, evidence-based recommendations to develop future patient care models with more capacity to deliver high-quality care with greater efficiency and lessen nursing burden and burnout during the nursing shortage crisis.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Nursing Care Quality (JNCQ) is a peer-reviewed journal that provides practicing nurses as well as nurses who have leadership roles in nursing care quality programs with useful information regarding the application of quality principles and concepts in the practice setting. The journal offers a forum for the scholarly discussion of “real world” implementation of quality activities.