Coping with interruptions in clinical nursing-A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Interruptions in clinical practice can disrupt workflow, leading to inefficiencies and potentially impacting patient safety.
• While the link between interruptions and errors is recognized, nurses' coping mechanisms remain under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how nurses cope with interruptions in their clinical practice.
• To identify factors influencing nurses' ability to manage interruptions effectively.

Main Methods:

• Employed an ethnographic fieldwork approach combined with a hermeneutical phenomenological perspective.
• Utilized observations and semi-structured qualitative interviews to gather data.

Main Results:

• Effective interruption management is influenced by nurses' competence, work environment, communication, and established team dynamics.
• Working procedures can lead to unnecessary interruptions, hindering nurses' focus and ability to decline them.
• Key professional competencies include prioritizing tasks, maintaining focus, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusions:

• Addressing interruptions requires cultural shifts, expectation alignment, and open discussions about behavior in healthcare teams.
• Understanding the nature of interruptions and developing targeted coping strategies are crucial for nurses.
• Enhancing nurses' coping strategies is vital for improving the quality of care and ensuring patient safety within multidisciplinary settings.