GRASPing infection: a workload measurement tool for infection control nurses.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Informatics
• Infection Control

Background:

• Infection control nurses (ICNs) in a large university teaching hospital faced challenges managing patient and trust requirements.
• Existing workload assessment methods were insufficient to quantify and qualify the demands on the infection control team (ICT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the GRASP nursing workload management system over a five-month period within an infection control team.
• To quantify and qualify patient and trust requirements for infection control (IC) using GRASP data.
• To assess the impact of GRASP on workload management, staffing, and strategic planning within the ICT.

Main Methods:

• The GRASP nursing workload management system was implemented and utilized by ICNs in a 1200-bedded hospital over five months.
• GRASP data were collected to quantify daily patient care requirements versus actual hours provided by ICNs.
• Data analysis focused on time allocation for specific tasks, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) management and education.

Main Results:

• A significant daily shortfall of 3.2 hours (15.9 h required vs. 12.7 h provided) in patient care was identified.
• ICNs spent a considerable amount of time (5.3 h) on MRSA-related tasks, with limited time (3.9 h) for education.
• The system highlighted a 'fire brigade service' model, compromising developmental and strategic infection control initiatives.

Conclusions:

• GRASP effectively quantifies, records, and analyzes nursing workload, providing data to support recommendations for increased focus on education and risk management.
• GRASP data facilitated a skill-mix review, leading to the appointment of additional staff for the ICT.
• The GRASP system offers a flexible, adaptable framework for benchmarking and managing evolving healthcare demands, applicable to various ICT members.