ATLANTA, GA (March 1, 2010) - A new
Jackson Healthcare survey of hospital nurses found that nurses
estimate spending one quarter of their twelve-hour shift on
indirect patient care. Respondents cited regulatory
requirements, redundant paperwork and logistical challenges as the
primary contributors of time spent away from the patient's
bedside.
The study, which targeted nurses, nursing managers and chief
nursing officers (CNO) across the U.S., was conducted in
partnership with StatCom and Travel Nurse Solutions. It was
based upon an online survey of 2,439 nurses, and focuses on the
1,663 who work in hospital settings.
Nurses reported having to document patient care information in
multiple locations, in addition to having to complete logs,
checklists and other redundant paperwork that prevented them from
having more time with their patients. Beyond these paperwork
redundancies, nurses reported significant time being wasted trying
to secure needed equipment and supplies.
When asked for solutions to these challenges, nurses recommended
a combination of ancillary staff support, hospital-wide
communications technology and reductions in redundant regulatory
requirements.
According to Jackson Healthcare Chief Marketing Officer, Bob
Schlotman, the results reveal a concerning trend. "Nurses are
being taken away from the patient's bedside by non-patient
activities. Unfortunately, due to the regulatory nature of
healthcare, we know that some of these redundancies won't go
away. However, the good news is methodology, in the form of
process improvements, and adaptive technology now exists to help
minimize and manage these frustrations for our nurses."
The survey found several significant differences between front
line nurses and CNOs. CNOs were more concerned with the
coordination of patient care, whereas nurses felt overworked and in
need of additional staff support.
The survey summary data is available at http://jacksonhealthcare.com/research.
For more information contact Kim Wacker, Jackson
Healthcare at 770-643-5624 or kwacker@jacksonhealthcare.com.
SURVEY METHODOLOGY-Between October 22 and
November 30, 2009, Jackson Healthcare conducted a web-based survey
of 2,439 nurses. Results reported in this press release
focused on the 1,663 of those nurse respondents who work in
hospital settings. Jackson had a response rate of 4.45
percent from the 54,764 invitations distributed. The survey
has an error range of +/- 1.29 percent, at the 95 percent
confidence level.
ABOUT JACKSON HEALTHCARE - Founded by the
healthcare innovator Richard Jackson, Jackson Healthcare serves
more than two million patients in nearly one thousand hospitals
each year. The Jackson family of companies provides clinician
staffing, anaesthesia management and healthcare information
technology solutions proven to improve clinical and financial
outcomes, as well as increase operational efficiency. Jackson
Healthcare has also earned national media coverage for its
physician polls and international charitable work. With a 43
percent company annual growth rate in revenue between 2005 and
2008, Jackson was named among the "Fastest Growing Private
Companies" by Inc. 5000. In addition, Jackson has been
recognized as one of the "Largest and Fastest Growing Staffing
Companies," in the country by Staffing Industry Analysts
and "One of Atlanta's Best Places to Work" by the Atlanta
Business Chronicle. For more information about Jackson and its
companies, visit www.JacksonHealthcare.com
ABOUT STATCOM - Through process re-engineering
and enabling software, StatCom's Hospital Operating System? helps
hospitals transform their operations to deliver efficient patient
throughput, reduced ALOS, and improved physician, patient and staff
satisfaction. The solution eliminates the fragmentation
normally associated with silo-based operations so that patient
throughput processes across all departments are synchronized.
This enables all patients to flow simultaneously at their
best possible rate with respect to LOS, service, quality, safety,
and resource consumption. StatCom is a subsidiary of Jackson
Healthcare®, www.JacksonHealthcare.com, a
group of companies focused on providing the healthcare industry
with innovative people resources and IT solutions. For more
information, visit www.statcom.com http://www.statcom.com/,
or contact StatCom at 800.930.0870 or at info@statcom.com.
ABOUT TRAVEL NURSE SOLUTIONS - Travel Nurse
Solutions (TNS), a member of Jackson Healthcare, specializes in the
temporary placement of registered nurses in a variety of healthcare
settings nationwide. Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama,
Travel Nurse Solutions is dedicated to bringing new technology and
exceptional customer service to the forefront of the travel nurse
staffing industry. With a commitment to quality,
integrity, and innovation, TNS has grown to become one of the
leading travel nurse agencies in the United States.