Assessment Of Procrastination Behavior Among Critical Care Nurses

Background: Controlling procrastination among nurses is one of the key issues toward enhancing productivity, not only for nursing but also for the whole healthcare system. Nurses working in critical care units are highly vulnerable to procrastination than other groups due to the specific features of these units. Nurses could procrastinate their tasks intentionally, which is known as active procrastination, or unintentionally, which is called passive procrastination. Aim: This study aims to assess the prevalence of procrastination behavior among critical care nurses. Also, this study aims to identify forms of procrastination behavior exhibited by nurses at critical care units. Method: This is a descriptive study that was conducted at all critical units of Alexandria Main University Hospital. Data were collected from 360 nurses that were conveniently selected using two tools, namely the New Active Procrastination Scale (NAPS) and the Unintentional Procrastination Scale (UPS). Results: The mean score of nurses’ active procrastination behavior is 65.1 ± 12.2 and 13.8 ± 4.7 for passive procrastination behavior. Also, 80.0% of nurses had moderate perceived level of active procrastination behavior whereas 45.3% of them had moderate perceived level of passive procrastination behavior. Conclusion: It is evident that the future of nursing productivity and quality of nursing care is at high risk with an expected decline rate since procrastination behavior is moderately visible among nurses, which necessitates urgent measures to be taken to buffer its negative effects on the nursing profession and patient care sensitive indicators. Furthermore, the current study revealed that nurses’ procrastination behavior can take two forms: passive and active. Both forms are practiced moderately. Recommendations: Nurse managers should conduct continuous training programs to enhance time management skills among nurses. Regular identification of possible nurse procrastinators and then offering counseling is also a promising strategy toward eradicating this behavior at the workplace.