Day‐to‐day activities of clinical dietitians working in the inpatient and outpatient settings in a group of New South Wales public hospitals: The results of a direct observational study. Issue 1 (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Milosavljevic, Marianna; Noble, Gary; Zaremba, Carly
• Is Part Of: Nutrition & dietetics. Volume 71:Issue 1(2014:Mar.)
• Page Start: 10
• Page End: 15
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; Dietetics -- Periodicals; 613.205
• DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.12059
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1446-6368

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="ndi12059-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To describe the daily tasks undertaken by dietitians working within the inpatient and outpatient sectors within the NSW public hospital system.</p> </sec> <sec id="ndi12059-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>This study used an ethnographic methodology that employed a direct, non‐participatory, discontinuous, observational technique to observe hospital dietitians, in both outpatient and inpatient settings, during a typical work shift. Trained volunteer observers collected the data over a three‐year period (2008, 2009 and 2010). The data were combined and then sorted into five categories including: direct patient care, indirect patient care, communication, administration and education of self or others.</p> </sec> <sec id="ndi12059-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>A total of 609 hours and 21 minutes were observed across a three‐year time period 2008–2010. On average, the dietitians in both inpatient and outpatient settings spent 18.3–32.2% of their time in direct patient care activities. The majority of time was spent in indirect patient care activities such as: information collection, documentation and discussion with other health‐care professionals. A comparison between the two work settings showed that those dietitians working in the inpatient setting spent less time in direct patient care (18.3% <italic>vs</italic> 33.1%, <italic>P</italic> < 0.05), and more time in indirect care activities (41.7% <italic>vs</italic> 23.3%, <italic>P</italic> < 0.05) and in communication about patient care (22.7% <italic>vs</italic> 14.4%, <italic>P</italic> < 0.05).</p> </sec> <sec id="ndi12059-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The findings show that dietitians spend most of their time doing activities that support patient care, but these activities occur away from the patient.</p> </sec> </abstract>