Community Nursing: A Time and Motion Study of Community Nurses' Work and Workload

Abstract

Aim: To explore activities performed by community nurses in community health centre clinics and during home visits. Design: Cross-sectional, observational using time and motion technique. Data collected during lockdown in 2020. Methods: Community nurses' work in clinics and during home visits were observed and recorded. The purposefully designed data collection tool covered six categories (Administration, Communication, Direct care, Documentation, Indirect care and Other) and 35 activities relative to community nurses' work. Results: Eight hundred and ten complete timings were obtained. Community nurses' time was most often (86.5%) spent on Direct care, Communication, Documentation and Other activities. Patient education occurred more often in the home. Conclusions: The type, frequency and time taken to complete community nursing activities provides insight into the community nurse role. Addressing inefficient practices such as documentation and travel could serve to improve workload. Reporting Method: Adheres to EQUATOR guideline STROBE for cross-sectional studies. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.