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Work flow analysis: eliminating non-value-added work.
Terry Capuano1, Joanna Bokovoy, Deborah Halkins
1Health Care Research, Center for Professional Excellence, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, Cedar Crest Boulevard & 178, Allentown, PA 18104, USA. Terry.Capuano@lvh.com
The Journal of Nursing Administration
|May 29, 2004
Summary
Work environment changes significantly altered nursing and support staff activities by addressing unnecessary work. These adjustments improved patient care delivery through revised job roles and environments.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Practice
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Identified key drivers of unnecessary work in patient care delivery in 1999.
- Implemented targeted changes based on identified work inefficiencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of work environment changes on nursing and support staff roles.
- Assess the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing unnecessary work.
Main Methods:
- Utilized mixed methods: quantitative (work sampling) and qualitative (focus groups).
- Defined activity categories by advanced practice nurses.
- Synthesized and validated data through multidisciplinary studies.
Main Results:
- Observed significant changes (P <.0001) in the distribution of activities for nurses and support staff.
- Demonstrated a measurable impact of interventions on staff workflow.
Conclusions:
- Significant activity distribution changes reflect successful adjustments in job descriptions and environment.
- Interventions effectively eliminated key drivers of unnecessary work in patient care.