LTC Nurses Only Spend Half of Work Time on Care

In a recent article, Emily Mongan at McKnight's Long-Term Care News reported that, according to new research in the Journal of Nursing Studies, Long-term care (LTC) nurses spend more than half of their time completing tasks that do not involve resident care.

Investigators observed seven nursing homes and found that staff spent approximately 53% of their time engaged in non-value added activities (e.g., looking for charts, transporting linens and restocking supplies). The study also found that residents’ aides spent 35% of their time on non-value activities, more than registered nurses (RN’s) and licensed practical nurses (LPN’s). The results showed that an RN’s time was mostly spent on indirect care (e.g., reviewing charts) while an LPN’s time is spent on a combination of direct and indirect care.

Lead author, Rose McCloskey, Ph.D., RN of the University of New Brunswick stated, “It is possible that factors such as facility design, organizational culture, practitioner’s skills and relationships between providers have a greater impact on provider’s activities than professional designations.”

Ms. McCloskey and her colleagues suggest tasks currently performed by RNs and LPNs could be delegated to non-regulated workers in order to increase facilities’ efficiency.

If you'd like to read the full article, please visit McKnight's Long-Term Care News.