Background: The Competence Description for Swedish Certified Nurse describes the nurse's responsibility to give the patient a good and safe care from an ethical perspective and through proven experience. The patient focused work method is an approach that places the patient and his problems and needs in the centre. Nursing care quality increases and gives a quicker rehabilitation time for the patient. Objective: To examine what the direct patient time means to the nurse and see what it contains. How much time, total, spent on direct patient time in a day's work? Method: Empirical, structured non-participant observational study with quantitative and qualitative approach. The quantitative result have been processed and is presented in the form of diagrams and text. The qualitative results were analyzed with latent content analysis. Results: The study showed that the direct patient time was low at the observed ward. The measured average direct patient time was 15,5 % of a day between 7.00-13.00. Most of the direct patient time was devoted for care measures. Conclusion: The result shows that a need for change in the nurses work and its organization is eminent.