Hui Jiang1, Hongxia Li2, Lili Ma3, Yan Gu4. 1. Nursing Department of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, 200120. Electronic address: jianghuitest@163.com. 2. School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 200032. Electronic address: to_seven@126.com. 3. Nursing Department of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, 200120. Electronic address: lily_ma_81@hotmail.com. 4. Nursing Department of Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, 200120. Electronic address: gy1235@aliyun.com.
Abstract
AIM: To study the nurses' roles in direct nursing care delivery in the neurology ward in China. BACKGROUND: As patients' demands for healthcare have increased, the quality of the nursing service has become a focus of attention. Nurses play an important role in the delivery of care and can affect the quality of patient care. METHODS: This was a non-participation, observational, time-task/activity study. All nursing care providers were observed during two shifts (16 hours) as constituents of the workload to explain the nurses' roles. RESULTS: An astonishingly low percentage (25.6%) of the total patient care workload was conducted by registered nurses. The rest of the care was provided by nursing students (10.5%), health care assistants (21%), and a substantial portion by the patients' relatives (43.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses' roles in direct nursing care delivery are inadequate in China. Nurse staffing and allocation must meet the increasing demand from clients to secure the highest quality and safety of healthcare.
AIM: To study the nurses' roles in direct nursing care delivery in the neurology ward in China. BACKGROUND: As patients' demands for healthcare have increased, the quality of the nursing service has become a focus of attention. Nurses play an important role in the delivery of care and can affect the quality of patient care. METHODS: This was a non-participation, observational, time-task/activity study. All nursing care providers were observed during two shifts (16 hours) as constituents of the workload to explain the nurses' roles. RESULTS: An astonishingly low percentage (25.6%) of the total patient care workload was conducted by registered nurses. The rest of the care was provided by nursing students (10.5%), health care assistants (21%), and a substantial portion by the patients' relatives (43.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses' roles in direct nursing care delivery are inadequate in China. Nurse staffing and allocation must meet the increasing demand from clients to secure the highest quality and safety of healthcare.