Nursing staff time allocation in long-term care - A work sampling study

The effective use of nursing staff time is a major determinant of the quality of care in long-term care facilities. The purpose of this work sampling study was to identify those activities that consumed the largest amount of staff time on a locked unit housing 60 chronically ill and demented patients. A heavy work load, large proportion of direct care, and minimal nonproductive time were found. Work redesign strategies to improve staff efficiency and implications for further research are discussed.