Assessing Time Management Competency among Emergency Nurses in Teaching Hospitals of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd

Maryam Zamani Faradonbeh

Background and purpose: Time management is a fundamental skill in healthcare professions, particularly in nursing, playing a crucial role in enhancing productivity, alleviating stress, and elevating the quality of patient care. This competency is exceptionally vital in emergency departments (EDs) due to high workloads, severe time constraints, and the necessity for rapid decision-making. This study aimed to evaluate the time management competency of nurses working in the EDs of teaching hospitals affiliated with Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, in 2025.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 223 nurses employed in EDs across the targeted teaching hospitals. Data were collected using the Time Management Competency Questionnaire for Clinical Nurses (Talebi et al.), which comprises 29 items across six dimensions. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 27). Independent t-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized for normally distributed variables, while Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was employed to examine the relationships between the competency components.
Results: The findings indicated that the nurses’ overall time management competency was at a moderately low level. Specifically, 12.6% of the nurses demonstrated relatively optimal competency, 64.1% exhibited weak competency, and 23.3% showed poor competency. The highest mean score was recorded in the dimension of 'adjusting responsibilities and norms' (18.39 ± 15.67), whereas the lowest was observed in 'emotional management' (20.58 ± 12.31). While significant positive correlations were found among most time management dimensions, the correlation between 'adjusting responsibilities and norms' and 'emotional management' was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The time management competency of emergency nurses is currently suboptimal, a situation likely exacerbated by systemic issues such as staffing shortages and high patient turnover. Given the interconnected nature of time management components, implementing comprehensive educational programs and targeted managerial interventions is imperative to cultivate this skill. Such measures are essential for enhancing the quality of emergency care and mitigating occupational burnout among nurses.

The Relationship between Implementation of Accreditation Standards and Hospital Service Quality at Taleghani Pediatric Hospital, Gorgan

Halimeh Salarnia

Background and purpose: Hospital service quality plays a vital role in patient and caregiver satisfaction, and accreditation standards have emerged as a tool to improve quality and patient safety. This study aimed to examine the relationship between the implementation of accreditation standards and perceived service quality from the perspective of patient caregivers at Taleghani Pediatric Hospital, Gorgan, in 2024.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2024. The study population included companions of hospitalized patients in various wards of Taleghani Pediatric Hospital, Gorgan. A stratified random sampling method was used, and a total of 250 participants were selected. Data were collected using the SERVQUAL questionnaire and the official hospital accreditation checklist. Descriptive and analytical analyses, including percentages, means, standard deviations, paired t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression, were performed using SPSS software.
Results: The mean perceived service quality was 3.87 ± 0.98, indicating a negative gap compared to expected quality (4.53 ± 0.56, p < 0.001). The overall implementation rate of patient-centered accreditation standards was 84%. Regression analysis showed that all dimensions of accreditation standards were significantly associated with perceived service quality. The model’s coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.593.
Conclusion: Implementation of accreditation standards in patient-centered and clinical care areas is associated with hospital service quality. However, gaps in empathy and assurance highlight the importance of human and interpersonal factors. Therefore, improving hospital service quality requires simultaneous attention to both standards and professional staff behavior.