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Understanding situation awareness in nursing work: a hybrid concept analysis
Mary Cathryn Sitterding1, Marion E Broome, Linda Q Everett
1Indiana University Health, Indianapolis 46202, USA. msitterd@iuhealth.org
ANS. Advances in Nursing Science
|February 2, 2012
Summary
Human factors contribute to most medical errors, with attention and situation awareness being under-explored. This study defines situation awareness in nursing, identifying key themes like perception, comprehension, and cognitive load.
Area of Science:
- Human Factors in Medicine
- Nursing Science
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Human factors account for 80% of medical errors.
- Attention, specifically situation awareness, is an under-explored factor in patient safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the concept of situation awareness in nursing.
- To develop a conceptual definition and practical applications for situation awareness.
Main Methods:
- Hybrid concept analysis.
- Semistructured interviews with nurses to elicit experiences.
- Content and relational analyses of interview data.
Main Results:
- Identified 9 key themes: perception, comprehension, projection, knowledge/expertise, cognitive overload, interruption management, task management, instantaneous learning, and cognitive stacking.
- Developed a conceptual definition of situation awareness.
- Provided recommendations for applying situation awareness in nursing practice.
Conclusions:
- Situation awareness is a critical, multifaceted concept in nursing.
- Understanding and enhancing situation awareness can improve patient safety and reduce medical errors.
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