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Working in healthcare: why 40% of your time is wasted (and how to stop it)News

Dennis Van Vliet

Development Manager
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8:47 a.m.. The bells are ringing, a patient is in pain, the medication cart is three rooms away, the file is not synchronized, and the specialist is calling about a discharge that is “really” due tomorrow. By the end of your shift, you have walked 11 kilometers, performed 47 operations, 18 of which were duplicated because systems were working against you.

According to research by Zorgnet-Icuro, the average nurse loses 2 hours and 18 minutes per shift searching, waiting and repeating. That’s 30% of your shift. Not patient care, but friction.

The solution? Not harder work, but smarter organization. Because the time gain is not in speed, but in healthcare logistics, process design and technology that does match the reality of working in healthcare.

Time pressure in healthcare: where minutes are lost

Time pressure feels personal, like not working fast enough. But most time pressure is organizational, not individual. It often arises from small, repeatable obstacles in care processes hospital-wide: Research by the Nursing & Care Knowledge Center shows exactly where time leaks out:

Timekeeper

Average loss per shift

Material search

43 minutes

Dual administration

38 minutes

Unclear communication

27 minutes

Waiting for colleagues or systems

19 minutes

That adds up to more than 2 hours per shift. Multiply that by a team of 15 nurses, and you lose over 300 working days per year in friction.

Good news: this is solvable. The key lies in better care processes and care logistics, not in more staff, but in better work design.

Improving care processes starts with workflow

A strong workflow is the foundation of efficient healthcare operations. Small process adjustments can have big effects. These four interventions deliver immediate time savings:

1. Material staging: everything within 3 meters

Caregivers travel miles daily to find supplies. Bringing supplies closer to work saves 30 – 40% time per operation.

  • Mobile workstations or trolleys per 4-6 rooms

  • Color coding for material types

  • Visual signals when stock is low

2. Visual workflows: from chaos to clarity

One view per room with patient status, risks and tasks prevents interruptions.

  • Whiteboards or digital dashboards

  • Color codes or pictograms by risk type

  • Clear responsibilities per shift

3. Pre-shift briefings: 5 minutes = 30 minutes gain

Short team huddles with SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) structure provide focus.

Result: less duplication, higher security.

4. Technology integration: tools that really help

Systems should enhance workflow, not slow it down.

  • Mobile medication carts with scanning

  • Voice-to-text documentation

  • Electric beds with automatic height adjustment

Healthcare logistics as a silent driver of efficiency

You don’t notice good healthcare logistics until they are missing. It is the closet where everything is always in its place, the bed that adjusts itself, the system that thinks ahead. Three principles make the difference:

  • Ergonomics = efficiency

    A nurse lifts on average more than a ton per shift. Ergonomic tools save both time and body.

    • Electric beds with one-touch positioning

    • Mobile hoists with automatic centering

    • Height adjustable workstations

      Investing in ergonomics reduces absenteeism and increases productivity.

  • Mobility of material, not people

    Let the material move instead of the staff.

    • Mobile medication and documentation carts

    • Automated logistics transports (AGVs, tube systems)

  • Data for predictability

    Predict peaks, avoid deficits.

    • RFID tracking and inventory monitoring

    • Dashboards with personnel and material status

Outcome: what more efficient care processes deliver

Healthcare institutions that make targeted investments in care processes and care logistics see measurable gains:

  • Shorter walking distances and fewer interruptions per shift.

  • Reduced administrative burden through digital integration.

  • Lower physical strain and less absenteeism.

  • More time for direct patient care.

You feel the difference every day: less stress, more calm and more attention to the patient.

From time pressure to sustainable care

The real question is not, “How do I work faster?” But, “How do I create space for what matters?”

By improving care processes and strengthening care logistics, you gain dozens of minutes per shift. Less time pressure, less absenteeism, more satisfaction.

  • Optimize care processes: bring material to care, not the other way around
  • Invest in ergonomics and technology that fits the practice
  • Make workflows visual and clear

Efficiency in healthcare is ultimately not about processes. It’s about people. Find out how Hospidex helps your organization translate time savings into better care.

Have a question about this article? Contact.

Kimberlie Hanna

MARKETING MANAGER

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