Time Study RN is the only software available to measure how nurses spend time at the bedside. It has been devised by nurses for nurses. The reports generated are easy to understand. It is compatible with National Benchmarking Database. The Time Study RN PDA was developed in 2002 for an initiative called "Transforming care at bedside" or TCAB. The brain wave behind TCAB was the observation that with technology improvements nurses were spending lesser time at the bedside. On the other hand, LEAN and Six Sigma were applied in the manufacturing industry to streamline their processes. With a vision to emulate this in health care Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded a pilot project in 3 hospitals to implement the TCAB methodology. A group of nurses were given the task to increase care givers time at the bedside. The team approached the Rapid Modeling Corporation develop a tool that could help in this time study without interrupting the work and still give accurate results. The data collected by the nurses was developed and integrated into the software by the Rapid Modeling Corporation. Self sampling by nurses was used to collect data since it was found to be less invasive as compared to an observer, and more accurate. 71 work activities in 7 categories were identified. Time Study RN was further improved to provide more ease of use and accuracy.
Times Study RN works in the following way - an attending nurse starts her shift by taking a PDA from charging. An alarm will sound at random intervals 28 times in 12 hours. When the alarm sounds the nurse is prompted some questions, such as where he's coming from, where he is now, what is the current activity he's doing, can the same task be done by a lower skilled labor, etc. The self sampling continues for 7 days and then data is downloaded on a network and automatic reports are generated. These reports indicate how much time was spent in non-productive activities and time spent on each activity etc. Problem areas thus highlighted can be addressed to increase the time spent by care givers at bedside.
Time Study RN PDA has transformed the way healthcare specialists now look at taking care of their patients. Its ease of use and handiness makes it a tool desirable for all nurse staff and hospital executives to improve their services and efficiency. The extensive analysis done by the Rapid Modeling Corporation is evident in the detailed work categories identified, and yet the detail has minimal interference in the work of the attending nurse. The time gap between alarms has been carefully selected to balance continuous measurement with minimal disruption.
The Rapid Modeling Corporation is located in Ohio, USA and serves more than a thousand customers. Besides health care they cater to various industries such as manufacturing and warehousing. As the tool is gaining popularity in more and more hospitals, this has also enabled improvements in the tool to include more activities and capabilities. Time Study RN has helped healthcare teams improve their metrics and provide better care to their patients. For more information on how Time Study RN can be useful for your hospital, please visit the website given below or contact them on the number given below.
Contact Information:
Company Address: Rapid Modeling Corporation
8044 Kimbee Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244
Phone: 866-526-8040