A Time-Motion Study of Registered Nurses’ Workflow in Intensive Care Unit Remote Monitoring

Authors

Zhihua Tang, School of Health Information Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Janine Mazabob, The Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
Liza Weavind, The Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
Eric Thomas, Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Todd R. Johnson, School of Health Information Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX

Publication Date

2006

Journal

AMIA Annu Symp Proc. 2006; 2006: 759–763.

Abstract

Utilizing advanced information technology, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) remote monitoring allows highly trained specialists to oversee a large number of patients at multiple sites on a continuous basis. In the current research, we conducted a time-motion study of registered nurses’ work in an ICU remote monitoring facility. Data were collected on seven nurses through 40 hours of observation. The results showed that nurses’ essential tasks were centered on three themes: monitoring patients, maintaining patients’ health records, and managing technology use. In monitoring patients, nurses spent 52% of the time assimilating information embedded in a clinical information system and 15% on monitoring live vitals. System-generated alerts frequently interrupted nurses in their task performance and redirected them to manage suddenly appearing events. These findings provide insight into nurses’ workflow in a new, technology-driven critical care setting and have important implications for system design, work engineering, and personnel selection and training.

Keywords

Intensive Care Units/organization and administration, Time and Motion Studies

Comments

PMCID: PMC1839383