Table 1.

Task and information tool definitions

Work Task	Definition
Direct Care	Tasks directly involved with patient care, eg direct communication with patient &/or family, bathing, applying dressings, nursing procedures etc.
Indirect Care	All tasks indirectly related to patient care, eg reviewing results, planning care, washing hands, reviewing documentation, returning equipment
Medication Tasks	All tasks associated with medication, includes preparation, administration, documentation, discussion & clarification
Documentation	Documentation (paper and electronic), excludes medication documentation
Professional Communication	All non-medication related communication with another health professional includes ward & patient handover. Excludes medication related discussion communication
Ward Related Activities	Ward activities, includes coordinating beds & staffing
In Transit	Time between tasks and between patients. Excludes movement between patients in a shared room and movement within a single room
Supervision	Supervising others, including students
Social	All non work communication, eg meal/tea breaks, personal calls
Other	Any other task not included above
Information Tools Used
Permanent Record	Tasks involving the writing/reading of information in a patient's permanent paper medical record, including: progress notes, request forms, medication chart, observation chart, nursing care plans
Paper	Tasks involving writing on temporary paper notes, eg bedlist, handover sheet, little notebook
Desktop Personal Computer (PC)	Tasks involving the use of a computer for information searching, retrieval and documentation
Phone	Tasks involving using the telephone