|
1
|
Al-Moteri M, Alzahrani AA, Althobiti ES, Plummer V, Sahrah AZ, Alkhaldi MJ, Rajab EF, Alsalmi AR, Abdullah ME, Abduelazeez AEA, Caslangen MZM, Ismail MG, Alqurashi TA. The Road to Developing Standard Time for Efficient Nursing Care: A Time and Motion Analysis. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2216. [PMID: 37570456 PMCID: PMC10418769 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11152216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: The amount of time nurses spend with their patients is essential to improving the quality of patient care. Studies have shown that nurses spend a considerable amount of time on a variety of activities--which are often not taken into account while estimating nurse-to-patient care time allocation--that could potentially be eliminated, combined or delegated with greater productivity. The current study aimed to calculate standard time for each activity category by quantifying the amount of time required by nurses to complete an activity category and determine the adjustment time that can be given during work, as well as determine factors that can be altered to improve the efficiency of nursing care on inpatient general wards of a governmental hospital. (2) Method: A time and motion study was conducted over two weeks using 1-to-1 continuous observations of nurses as they performed their duties on inpatient general wards, while observers recorded each single activity, and specifically the time and movements required to complete those activities. (3) Result: There was 5100 min of observations over 10 working days. Nurses spent 69% (330 min) of time during their 8 h morning shift on direct patient care, (19.4%) ward/room activities (18%), documentation (14%), indirect patient care (12%) and professional communication (5%). Around 94 min of activities seem to be wasted and can be potentially detrimental to nurses' overall productivity and threaten patient care quality. The standard number of hours that represents the best estimate of a general ward nurse regarding the optimal speed at which the staff nurse can provide care related activities was computed and proposed. (4) Conclusions: The findings obtained from time-motion studies can help in developing more efficient and productive nursing work for more optimal care of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Modi Al-Moteri
- Nursing Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amer A. Alzahrani
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Ensherah Saeed Althobiti
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Virginia Plummer
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University, Berwick, VIC 3806, Australia;
| | - Afnan Z. Sahrah
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Maha Jabar Alkhaldi
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Eishah Fahad Rajab
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Amani R. Alsalmi
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Merhamah E. Abdullah
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | | | - Mari-zel M. Caslangen
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Mariam G. Ismail
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| | - Talal Awadh Alqurashi
- King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; (A.A.A.); (E.S.A.); (E.F.R.); (M.E.A.); (T.A.A.)
| |
Collapse
|