Understanding and Visualizing Multitasking and Task Switching Activities: A Time Motion Study to Capture Nursing...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Workflow Analysis
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Understanding nursing workflow is critical in complex healthcare settings.
• Multitasking and task switching are inherent to nursing practice.
• Quantifying these activities is essential for optimizing efficiency and patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and quantify multitasking and task switching in nursing workflow.
• To analyze the frequency and duration of simultaneous communication and hands-on tasks.
• To provide a practical methodology for time motion studies in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a time motion study design.
• Employed TimeCaT, an electronic time capture tool, for data collection.
• Ensured inter-observer reliability and conducted 56 hours of observation across 10 registered nurses.

Main Results:

• Nurses performed an average of 124 communications and 208 hands-on tasks per 4-hour block.
• Multitasking occurred 131 times, constituting 39.48% of observed instances.
• Average multitasking duration was 44.98 minutes (18.63%), with a range of 14.6 to 109 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Multitasking is a significant component of registered nursing workflow.
• The study provides a reliable quantitative and qualitative approach to analyzing nursing time motion.
• Findings can inform strategies for improving nursing efficiency and workflow management.