TRACT: Making invisible work, visible
TRACT is digital application which helps nurses to assess, measure, and plan care trajectory management work.
Background
TRACT is a digital tool for assessing, measuring, and planning care trajectory management.
Care trajectory management refers to the work that nurses do to organise and coordinate patient care. Despite its importance to healthcare quality and safety, care trajectory management is a largely invisible component of nursing practice. Nurses have not had a language with which to describe this work, it is not supported by formal planning systems, and is not included in workforce methodologies that determine safe nurse staffing levels.
TRACT has been developed by nurses, with nurses, for nurses.
It builds on Allen’s research which examined the organisational component of the nursing role for the first time, and which led to the development of a conceptual framework with which to articulate this component of nursing practice.
TRACT has been developed with user engagement (senior nurses Cardiff & Vale UHB, an international advisory group, Wales policy leaders). It comprises:
- Digital web-based application (E-TRACT)
- TRACT Implementation Package
- Dedicated website
Study outcomes
The project is on-going, with a formal pilot study in the planning stages.
Funding
This project has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Accounts.
