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Journal of Research in Nursing
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Health care assistants' and mental attendants' daily work tasks in acute hospital care

Carina FurÅker

Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Akademin Göteborg University, Göteborg Sweden, carina.furaker{at}fhs.gu.se

To describe the work and the everyday activities of health care assistants (HCAs) and mental attendants (MAs) in acute hospital care. Several caring duties have been delegated from registered nurses to HCAs and MAs the last decade. Their tasks can either be rather demanding and qualified or be quite unqualified. Both a qualitative and quantitative design was used. Data collection comprised diaries written by 26 HCAs and MAs in 10 wards during a week in April 2006. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The study shows that the participants on average spend half of their working time on direct care (bedside). The HCAs in the geriatric wards spend more time on bedside than all the others. There can be several explanations as to the difference between wards. The MAs appear to have more authority and influence on psychiatric care in contrast to the HCAs. From this study is that the HCAs and MAs carry out quite demanding work tasks and particularly the MAs are responsible for qualified patient care, which raises questions about their formal education and competence.

Key Words: diary • work content • care organisation • direct care • indirect care

Journal of Research in Nursing, Vol. 13, No. 6, 542-553 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1744987107085240
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