When I began my nursing career years ago, I was gifted a watch. A very practical gift for a nurse, however it was the inscription The Gift of Time along with the advice “always make the most of time spent with patients” that made that gift filled with infinite wisdom so very special, and one to always remember. Fast forward, and while the presence of nurses at the beside remains intrinsic to quality healthcare, the time to be present has unfortunately become a scarce resource.
Recently completed surveys have reported findings that >90% of staff nurses face increasing time constraints and believe that having more time at the bedside would positively impact patient outcomes.
While this percentage may be astounding, it is ironically not difficult to believe. Increasing complexities in the landscape of healthcare and higher acuity patients presenting for care have been the catalyst for the growing abundance of challenges and obstacles inhibiting nurse presence at the bedside.
Nursing Workforce Shortages
The cumulative effects of ongoing and perhaps increasing trends of turnover, retirements, and vacancies have forced heavier workloads and increased nurse-patient ratios for bedside nurses. Such suboptimal staffing coverage plans place higher demands upon nurses and markedly impact time constraints.
Burnout
Let’s face it, even on the best of days, bedside nursing is demanding and exhausting. Adding to the taxing nature of the work, nurses often find themselves extremely stretched, working long hours, and picking up additional shifts. Over time this work pace takes a toll on their physical and emotional well-being and unfortunately negatively impacts the delivery of quality patient care.
Inefficient Workflows
Instead of being a protected resource, nurses’ time is consumed by inefficiencies in processes, procedures, tasks, workflows, and documentation. Redundancy, waste, and completion of non-clinical tasks deplete the energy and focus of nurses as they are delivering patient care.
“Making” Time a Priority
The issues, concerns, and feedback from nurses relative to time constraints at the bedside is real. While far from simple, a primary responsibility of Nursing and Healthcare Leaders is to address and remove obstacles that impede process, performance improvement, and subsequent outcomes.
How do we take action to ensure nurses have the appropriate amount of time to be present at the bedside to enhance patient care?
- Acknowledge, Advocate, and Address the direct correlation between workforce shortages and patient outcomes: Are all key stakeholders in agreement vs. some with thoughts that nurses can stretch “for a little longer”; Alignment is critical to ensure support for change
- Renewed Engagement: Visible Leadership; Foster a culture that supports well-being; Leadership Rounding; Encourage staff feedback, listen with intent, and provide timely responses; Scheduled check-ins with staff nurses; Scheduled Stress Management Workshops
- Streamline Nursing Workflows: Develop workgroups; “Ask a Nurse” about inefficiencies and encourage/enable their voice in problem-solving; Ensure appropriate delegation of responsibilities; Are there opportunities to engage support staff?; Eliminate duplicative steps and excess work that needlessly deplete time – every minute saved adds up
Give the Gift of Time
I often think about today’s role of a bedside nurse and their struggles as they navigate complex healthcare work environments. Striving to do their best amidst the never-ending daily challenges, obstacles, and mounting stressors while fearing they may fail their patients because they aren’t able to fully devote quality time in the delivery of care.
Here’s what we know: caring for patients, helping them heal, and making a positive impact on their lives is the reason most pursue a career in nursing; the ability to carry out this passion and truly feel they are making a difference significantly improves Nurse Satisfaction and Engagement; engaged nurses at the bedside cultivate trust and personal connections that improve Patient Satisfaction, deliver high Quality Care, and ultimately improve Patient Outcomes.
Pursuant to the above wins, the value of time at a patient’s bedside cannot be overstated. It is everything nurses desire, and patients deserve. Let’s give the Gift of Time…
