A nurse's time is divided into four areas: nursing practice, unit-related duties, nonclinical duties, and waste, says a recent study published in the summer 2008 edition of The Permanente Journal.

What researchers find in "A 36-Hospital Time and Motion Study: How Do Medical-Surgical Nurses Spend Their Time?" is not surprising: Nurses are devoting a large portion of their time to documentation, coordination of care and medication administration, and less to direct patient care. On a 10-hour shift, nurses typically spent about 171 minutes with patients and 214 minutes at the nurse station. The study also finds that many nurses spent a great deal of time walking from destination to destination in their facilities. Nurses walked three miles, on average, while at work.

"A picture emerges of the professional nurse who is constantly moving from patient room to room, nurse station to supply closet and back to room, spending a minority of time on patient care activities and a greater amount of time on documentation, coordination of care, medication administration and movement around the unit," the study notes.
The study suggests that changes to the process and technology of documentation, communication and medication handling, as well as the physical design of hospital units, could improve efficiency as well as patient care.

What do you think?
What changes could your facility make to give you more time with patients?
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