Nursing praxis, compassionate caring and interpersonal relations: an observational study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• The Clinical Initiative Nurse (CIN) role involves experienced emergency nurses managing patient conditions in the ED waiting room.
• CINs assess, initiate diagnostics, treat, and follow up with waiting room patients.
• This study explores the observable practices of CINs in their extended role.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the everyday practices of Clinical Initiative Nurses in the emergency department.
• To investigate how compassionate caring influences the CIN role and patient interactions.
• To examine the integration of advanced clinical skills and compassionate care in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen non-participant observations were conducted in three emergency departments in New South Wales, Australia.
• Nurses with over two years of emergency experience and one year in the CIN role were observed.
• All observed CINs possessed a minimum of three years of emergency department experience.

Main Results:

• Compassionate caring was crucial for CINs in rapidly establishing therapeutic relationships with patients and colleagues.
• The CIN role, while considered extended practice, heavily relied on compassionate care for interpersonal dynamics.
• Compassionate care facilitated core communication and interpersonal skills within the CIN role.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the significant contribution of emergency nurses and the centrality of compassionate caring in nursing practice (praxis).
• The CIN role effectively blends advanced clinical skills with compassion to foster therapeutic relationships.
• Further research is recommended to optimize compassionate care within nursing and healthcare professional interactions.