Analysis of home care nurses' workload: A time-motion study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Time and Motion Studies

Background:

• Home care nursing is a critical component of healthcare delivery, yet the specific demands and time allocation of home care nurses remain under-examined.
• Efficient workload management is essential for optimizing patient care and preventing nurse burnout in home healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the workload of home care nurses and analyze their time allocation across various activities.
• To identify key areas where time is spent, including direct care, indirect care, administrative tasks, and personal activities.

Main Methods:

• An observational-descriptive time and motion study was conducted within a district municipality's home health services.
• Data were collected using an Information form, Nursing Activities Report Form, and the Cheltenham Patient Classification Scale.
• Workload analysis was performed using the time-motion study methodology.

Main Results:

• Home care nurses dedicated 68.02 minutes to direct care and 61.02 minutes to indirect care.
• A substantial amount of time, 119.42 minutes, was allocated to personal activities.
• Educational activities and registration procedures consumed considerable portions of the nurses' work time.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights significant time investment in non-clinical activities, necessitating a review of current workload distribution.
• Findings can inform workforce planning, address unmet patient needs, and drive continuous quality improvement in home care services.
• Further research employing diverse methods to assess both tangible and intangible aspects of home care nursing workload is recommended.