Intrahospital transfers and the impact on nursing workload

Journal article


Blay, Nicole, Roche, Michael A., Duffield, Christine and Gallagher, Robyn. (2017). Intrahospital transfers and the impact on nursing workload. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 26(23-24), pp. 4822-4829. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13838
AuthorsBlay, Nicole, Roche, Michael A., Duffield, Christine and Gallagher, Robyn
Abstract

Aims and objectives
To determine the rate of patient moves and the impact on nurses’ time.

Background
Bed shortages and strategies designed to increase patient flow have led to a global increase in patient transfers between wards. The impact of transferring patients between wards and between beds within a ward on nurses’ workload has not previously been measured.

Design
A two-stage sequential study. Retrospective analysis of hospital data and a prospective observational-timing study.

Methods
Secondary analysis of an administrative data set to inform the rate of ward and bed transfers (n = 34,715) was undertaken followed by an observational-timing study of nurses’ activities associated with patient transfers (n = 75).

Results
Over 10,000 patients were moved 34,715 times in 1 year which equates to an average of 2.4 transfers per patient. On average, patient transfers took 42 min and bed transfers took 11 min of nurses’ time. Based on the frequency of patient moves, 11.3 full-time equivalent nurses are needed to move patients within the site hospital each month.

Conclusion
Transferring patients is workload intensive on nurses’ time and should be included in nursing workload measurement systems.

Relevance to clinical practice
Nurses at the site hospital spend over 1700 hr each month on activities associated with transferring patients, meaning that less time is available for nursing care.

Keywordsintrahospital transfer; nurse workload; nursing activities; observational-timing study; secondary analysis transfer
Year2017
JournalJournal of Clinical Nursing
Journal citation26 (23-24), pp. 4822-4829
PublisherWiley
ISSN0962-1067
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13838
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85023196429
Open accessPublished as green open access
Page range4822-4829
Research GroupSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine
Author's accepted manuscript
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All rights reserved
File Access Level
Open
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online10 Jul 2017
Publication process dates
Accepted27 Mar 2017
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