Time Management of Nurses Working Through the Partnership Nursing System (PNS)

Abstract

This study sought to identify the time management practices of nurses working in hospitals employing the Partnership Nursing System (PNS) as a nursing care delivery system, and to examine the support that nurse managers might provide for effective collaboration among nurses. A hardcopy questionnaire was completed by mail by 767 nurses working in 26 hospitals nationwide. The questionnaire consisted of questions on the characteristics of the participants and open-ended questions on time management. The results were analyzed using a content analysis of the 412 valid responses. The results revealed 39 categories that represented the content of time management, including: a) Shared the patient's condition, schedule, the content of the doctor's orders, and the content of necessary nursing care with their partners at the start of work, and discussed the methods of assistance and precautions in providing assistance, and b) Had a discussion with their partners at the start of the shift, determined the priority and time allocation of work based on patient information, and made a daily action plan. Of the 27 categories specific to PNS, six categories corresponded to the PNS complementary system, suggesting that they are the core of time management. The results also suggested that reliable and frequent information sharing and appropriate and flexible work assignment are important elements of time management in PNS. Nurse managers need to inspect the system and educate their staff from the perspective of time management so that the PNS complementary system can function.