Evaluation of a program to improve nursing assistant use

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• Registered nurses (RNs) face increasing workloads, impacting their ability to focus on complex care coordination.
• Optimizing the utilization of nursing assistants (NAs) is crucial for efficient healthcare delivery.
• Existing models for NA support require evaluation for enhanced RN effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a hospital-wide program designed to improve nursing assistant utilization and productivity.
• To determine if enhanced NA support leads to a reduced workload for registered nurses.
• To evaluate the effects of the program on the quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a hospital-wide program focused on optimizing nursing assistant roles and productivity.
• Data collection on registered nurse workload, perceived quality of care, and supervision capacity.
• Analysis of trended data to assess changes in quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction post-implementation.

Main Results:

• Registered nurses reported a decreased workload following program implementation.
• Nurses experienced an improved ability to supervise nursing assistants.
• Trended data indicated improvements in the overall quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• A program enhancing nursing assistant use and productivity can effectively reduce registered nurse workload.
• Improved NA utilization positively impacts the quality of nursing care and patient satisfaction.
• This model supports better role distribution within nursing teams for improved healthcare outcomes.