Surgical Nurses' Perspectives on Low-Value Care and Non-Nursing Tasks: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Low-value care offers minimal patient benefit or poses risks exceeding potential advantages.
• Non-nursing tasks are duties nurses perform below their professional scope.
• Global nursing shortages necessitate identifying and addressing these issues to ensure fundamental care delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of low-value nursing care and non-nursing tasks in surgical settings.
• To identify factors influencing these practices and their associations.
• To explore potential solutions for improving nursing efficiency and care quality.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study design was employed.
• A self-developed questionnaire was utilized to collect data.
• The survey was administered to nurses in surgical wards across four Dutch hospitals.

Main Results:

• 302 nurses responded, revealing prevalent low-value practices like routine preoperative fasting (84.8%) and unnecessary venous catheter maintenance (42.1%).
• Habitual practice, protocols, and physician requests were primary drivers for low-value care.
• Nurses frequently performed administrative duties and room cleaning, with 85.8% reporting daily non-nursing tasks.

Conclusions:

• Low-value nursing care is common in surgical practice, requiring targeted de-implementation strategies.
• The high prevalence of non-nursing tasks indicates a need for task reorganization within nursing roles.
• Lack of leadership responsibility contributes to the persistence of low-value care and non-nursing tasks.