Impact of interruptions on the duration of nursing interventions: A study in a chemotherapy unit

Abstract

Objective: To investigate interruptions during nursing interventions in a chemotherapy unit (sources and causes); measure their frequency, duration and the total elapsed time to complete the interventions. Method: This is an observational analytical study performed using a digital stopwatch. It was conducted in a teaching hospital between 2015/2016. The interventions performed and their interruptions were mapped and classified according to the Nursing Interventions Classifications (NIC) taxonomy. Results: There were 492 interruptions recorded in the 107 hours observed, especially in indirect care interventions. They were mainly caused by nursing professionals (n = 289; 57.3%) to supply materials (n = 65; 12.8%) and exchange care information (n = 65; 12.8%). The duration of interruptions ranged from 0:08 to 9:09 (average 1:15; SD 1:03) minutes. On average, interventions took 2:16 (SD 0:27) minutes to complete without interruption; however, the average was 5:59 (SD 3:01) minutes when interrupted. Conclusion: The interruptions were constant during the nursing work in the chemotherapy unit, including during the preparation and administration of medications, and increased the time to complete the interventions by an average of 163.9%.

Use of the Nursing Interventions Classification and Nurses’ Workloads: A Scoping Review

“…However, the results reported indicate that the NIC averages could be lower than the times required by nurses to perform the interventions in up to 15% of cases. The idiosyncrasies of nursing care make it inevitable that the daily activity is disrupted by unscheduled interventions [ 3 ], as well as obstacles and constant interruptions to the nurses’ work, which affects up to 163.9% of the amount of time required to complete the interventions [ 15 ]. As such, the care routine imposed by work dynamics in the distinct care models can increase the activities assigned to nurses [ 16 ], which can affect the quality of care and health outcomes in the population.…”

Time from Pain Assessment to Pain Intervention

“…Interruptions, often due to lowpriority tasks that could be completed by unlicensed personnel, increase perceived workload of nurses. [11][12][13] Previous studies have recognized that interruptions and delays, such as travel to gather food, liquids, and analgesics, impede care. 8,9,[11][12][13] This is the 1st study to specifically focus on how interruptions and delays influence nurses' responsiveness to acute postsurgical pain.…”

“…[11][12][13] Previous studies have recognized that interruptions and delays, such as travel to gather food, liquids, and analgesics, impede care. 8,9,[11][12][13] This is the 1st study to specifically focus on how interruptions and delays influence nurses' responsiveness to acute postsurgical pain. Changes in processes and opportunities for delegation may decrease nurses' time away from patients and facilitate optimal pain management.…”

Workflow interruption and nurses’ mental workload in electronic health record tasks: An observational study

“…Workflow interruptions in healthcare have received considerable attention, and some studies have suggested that they are associated with compromised working efficiency, error and patient safety [2]. In this study, we defined nursing interruptions as external behaviours that might distract nurses' attention from the initial task, requiring task switching or concurrent multitasking, which might eventually affect the work continuity and mental workload of nurses [3]. While most studies have focused on the negative aspects of interruptions, others have presented a broader view, acknowledging that some interruptions, especially those leading to nursing task switching, might be beneficial and necessary for the quality of the task [4,5].…”