The Added Value of Task Shifting: FM and the Nurse Join Forces

Background and Aim. In the Dutch healthcare sector, staff shortages coinciding with an increased care demand due to an aging population, have become a pressing issue. In many hospitals, staff work part-time, workloads and absenteeism are growing, and staff are leaving. The Dutch facility management (FM) sector faces a similar problem, caused by a growing unwillingness to perform physically demanding jobs like cleaning. FM can contribute to the solution of these developments. In this context, effects of task shifting for FM in healthcare were studied in a field experiment.
Methods and Data. In a field experiment, we examined how the transfer of non-core healthcare-related tasks from nursing to service employees was perceived by nurses (N=108) and service employees (N=57), through questionnaires in a Dutch hospital.
Results. Shifting non-core healthcare-related tasks to service employees had a positive effect on nurse's and service employee’s work experience.
Originality. This study demonstrated that task shifting from nursing to FM can contribute to experiences of both nurses and service employees.
Practical and Societal Implications. This study showed that better alignment between tasks of FM and healthcare professionals can contribute to staff shortages. Service employees can support nurses by taking over basic care tasks such as feeding, washing, and performing nursing checks, while also enabling more meaningful interpersonal contact. In this way, efficiency can be increased, and the quality of care for patients and hospital staff can be improved.