title: Understanding and Visualizing Multitasking and Task Switching Activities: A Time Motion Study to Capture Nursing Workflow.
abstract: A fundamental understanding of multitasking within nursing workflow is important in today's dynamic and complex healthcare environment. We conducted a time motion study to understand nursing workflow, specifically multitasking and task switching activities. We used TimeCaT, a comprehensive electronic time capture tool, to capture observational data. We established inter-observer reliability prior to data collection. We completed 56 hours of observation of 10 registered nurses. We found, on average, nurses had 124 communications and 208 hands-on tasks per 4-hour block of time. They multitasked (having communication and hands-on tasks simultaneously) 131 times, representing 39.48% of all times; the total multitasking duration ranges from 14.6 minutes to 109 minutes, 44.98 minutes (18.63%) on average. We also reviewed workflow visualization to uncover the multitasking events. Our study design and methods provide a practical and reliable approach to conducting and analyzing time motion studies from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics; Wexner Medical Center.
authors.forename: Po-Yin
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Informatics; Clínica Alemana de Santiago, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lopetegui
authors.affiliation: Wexner Medical Center; College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: Amber L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rosado
authors.affiliation: Wexner Medical Center; College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: Elaina M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Migliore
authors.affiliation: Wexner Medical Center; College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: Esther M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Chipps
authors.affiliation: Wexner Medical Center; College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
authors.forename: Jacalyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buck
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D003142:Communication; D003625:Data Collection; D006801:Humans; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015588:Observer Variation; D009820:Ohio; D013527:Perioperative Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D057188:Workflow