Critique of Qualitative Research Article: Value-added care: A paradigm shift in patient care delivery.

Upenieks, Akhavan and Kotlerman (2008) conducted a pilot study whose purpose firstly entailed highlighting the amount of time registered nurses (RNs) were engaged in value-added activities. Secondly, the researchers aimed at evaluating the effect of the number of RNs and UAPs [unlicensed assistive personnel] on “the amount of time spent in value-added care compared to time spent in necessary tasks and waste” (p. 294). The study was occasioned by a challenge of developing interventions to increase the time that nurses spend in value-added activities while reducing the time they spend in non-value-added activities. Since multiple factors such as documentation, administrative aspects, and personal factors compete for nursing time with the value-added activities, it is important to evaluate how RNs spend their time and whether increase in the number of individuals in the care team would enhance the time spent on value-added activities.