title: Survey of Managers Regarding Nurses' Performance of Nonnursing Duties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The performance of nonnursing duties by nursing staff contributes to an already busy workload while taking time away from patient care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article reports on a process implemented by a large regional health authority in Canada to measure and address nurses' performance of nonnursing duties through a newly created tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Process improvement methodology was used to conduct this project. A measurement tool, the "Non-Nursing Duties Tracking Tool," was designed for frontline nursing staff and patient care attendants to document the performance of tasks classified as clerical, housekeeping, food services, clinical support, and transportation. This article reports on a survey of managers regarding information collected from frontline nurses and patient care attendants regarding their performance of nonnursing duties and actions taken or planned to address this.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tasks were identified that could be delegated to housekeeping, transport, and clerical staff. Both frontline nurses and managers expressed the need for administrative support to realign nonnursing tasks to more appropriate personnel. Although most managers of nurses expressed concern about the support of managers in other departments to make these changes, little resistance was encountered when adequate resources were in place.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The "Non-Nursing Duties Tracking Tool" is a valid instrument to support the assessment of nonnursing direct care duties.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: School of Nursing, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Dr Kearney); and Centre for Nursing Studies (Ms Grainger), Eastern Health (Mss Chubbs and Downey), St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kearney
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grainger
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chubbs
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Downey
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D009740:Nursing Staff; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory; D011361:Professional Competence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires