Research
Shifting Perspective on Documentation by Jennifer Jackson, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary
”Paperwork”can be a bad word in nursing. Many nurses have negative views of documentation, preferring to spend time directly with patients. However, there is a new concept of organizational labour which is changing perspectives on what constitutes important nursing work. Documentation has long been recognized as an important part of self-regulation. It provides details on the work that was done, and any issues for a patient. More than this, documentation keeps patients moving through the healthcare system, which is why it is a central part of nursing care.
18
care | VOLUME 34 ISSUE 3
Allen1(pp2-3) recognized organizational labour as a legitimate part of nursing work and defined organizational labour as: “[Nurses’] work in bringing patients into the organisation and mobilising action; their work in maintaining an overview of the current status of individuals’ care and communicating this to relevant actors; the work in ensuring all essential activities are carried out and do not interfere with each other; their work in assembling the materials and resources that are required to support their conduct; their work in overseeing bed utilisation and their work in facilitating patient transfers.”
