J Nurs Acad Soc.  1995 Sep;25(3):441-456.

A Study on the Nursing Time in Nursing Units in Hospital to Applied Computer System

• Chang CJ
• Kang IW
• Lee EJ
• Kim BY
• Lee MS

Abstract

This study was done to determine direct and indirect nursing time in nursing units in hospital to applied computer system and expect that those results contribute to measure efficiency of nursing practice and planning of nursing manpower. The design for study was a descriptive study. The study results are as follows. 1. Patients admitted to the Internal Medicine and General Surgery units were grouped into four: Group I, 32.9% of the total patients, consisted patients whose condition was considered minor: Group II, 26.1%, was of those whose condition was considered moderate, Group III, 41. 8%, moderate severe and Group IV, 29.2% the most severe. 2. Nursing intervention times by care type were as follows: four minutes spent for suction, eight minutes, for simple position change, ten minutes, for sheet change, seven minutes for a hot or cool compress, six minutes for dressing change, four minutes for I.M.injection, six minutes for patient health education and five minutes for body temperature check. 3. Direct care time by patient group revealed the following: Group I rquired 191.4 minutes, Group II required 331.1 minutes, Group III rquired 499.4 minutes, and Group IV rquired 1328.0 minutes. 4. The ratio of time for adequate nursing care and direct care time in the Internal Medicine and General Surgery units was 67.4%-83.4% and 94.7%-99.3% in the Intensie Care Unit. 5. Average daily direct care time per patient was 5.5 hours in the Internal Medicine unit and 11.5 hours in the Intensive Care Unit. 6. Time spent in indirect care was 48.3 minutes for computer recording, 34.8 minutes for giving and receiving patient information for shift duty, 28.0 minutes for eating and resting time, 26.6 minutes for transfering and identifying patients, 25.6 minutes for identifying Doctor's order, 23.9 minutes for recording vital signs. 7. Time spent in indirect care was 282.2 minutes by head nurses (charge nurses), 258.7 minutes by nurses and 261.6 minutes by nurse aids. 8. The average nurse's workload was 9.3 hours and daily indirect nursing time required 46.3%-50. 5% of above mentioned workload time. 9. The average daily indirect care time per patient was expected to be 57.7 minutes in the Internal Medicine unit and 3.3 hours in the Intensive Care Unit.

MeSH Terms

Bandages
Body Temperature
Computer Systems*
Eating
Health Education
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Internal Medicine
Nursing Care
Nursing*
Nursing, Supervisory
Suction
Vital Signs