Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 9, 2026
Author Spotlight: Workflow for Integrating POCUS Data into EHR for Managing Heart Failure Patients
Published on: July 12, 2024
Utilizing a Human Factors Nursing Worksystem Improvement Framework to Increase Nurses' Time at the Bedside and
C Adam Probst1, Megan Carter, Caton Cadigan
1Author Affiliations: Director of Human Factors Clinical Operations (Dr Probst); Nurse Director (Ms Carter); Registered Nurse (Ms Cadigan); Informatics Resource Nurse (Ms Dalcour); Patient Safety Manager (Ms Cassity); Facility Director of Informatics (Ms Quinn); Informatics Resource Nurse (Ms Williams); Vice President of Nursing Informatics and Clinical Excellence (Dr Montgomery); Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (Dr Wilder); Director of Human Factors and Patient Safety Science (Dr Xiao), Baylor Scott and White Health, Dallas Texas.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to increase nurses' time for direct patient care and improve safety via a novel human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement.
Background:
Time available for direct patient care influences outcomes, yet worksystem barriers prevent nurses adequate time at the bedside.
Methods:
A novel human factors framework was developed for worksystem improvement in 3 units at 2 facilities. Objectives included improving nurse efficiency as measured by time-and-motion studies, reducing missing medications and subsequent trips to medication rooms and improving medication safety.
Results:
Worksystem improvement resulted in time savings of 16% to 32% per nurse per 12-hour shift. Requests for missing medications dropped from 3.2 to 1.3 per day. Nurse medication room trips were reduced by 30% and nurse-reported medication errors fell from a range of 1.2 to 0.8 and 6.3 to 4.0 per month.
Conclusions:
An innovative human factors framework for nursing worksystem improvement provided practical and high priority targets for interventions that significantly improved the nursing worksystem.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Current Trends in Nursing II
01:27Nursing Clinical Information System
A Nursing Clinical Information System (NCIS) is a specialized type of healthcare information system tailored to meet the unique needs of nursing practice. It incorporates the principles of nursing informatics to streamline information management and improve the quality of care delivery.
Critical attributes of NCIS include:
01:25Fundamentals of Nursing Process II
01:28Current Trends in Nursing I
01:18Introduction To Health Care Delivery System
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...
01:15Nursing Implementation
The five steps to implementing effective nursing care include reassessing the patient, reviewing and revising the existing nursing care plan, organizing the resources and care delivery, anticipating and preventing complications, and implementing nursing interventions.