Improving Supply Procurement on Nursing Units

For years, nurses have struggled with balancing bedside service, direct patient care, teaching, and an array of other daily tasks. Several studies have shown that nurses can spend seventeen percent or more of their shift administering medications, which can be equal to or greater than the amount of time they are able to devote to patient teaching and other interventions. New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center requested the Capstone team to observe the medication administration process on several medical-surgical units, identify the barriers that impede a safe and efficient medication administration process and present opportunities for improvement. The recommendations are being developed through observation data analysis, focus group discussions with nurses working on the units studied, and evidence extracted from literature reviews. The recommendations presented to the nursing leadership of New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center will identify opportunities to remove barriers that currently prevent nurses from spending quality time at the bedside.