Telephone nurses' strategies for managing difficult calls: A qualitative content analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Communication
• Telenursing

Background:

• Telenursing is a complex and expanding field requiring significant expertise from nurses.
• Effective communication and active listening are paramount for telenurses.
• Emotional engagement is a core aspect of telenurses' experiences with difficult calls.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and describe the strategies employed by telenurses when managing difficult calls.
• To understand the challenges faced by telenurses in demanding communication scenarios.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive qualitative study design was utilized.
• Data were gathered through individual interviews with 19 telenurses.
• Qualitative content analysis was performed on the collected data.

Main Results:

• An essential strategy identified was "to be calm and secure in themselves."
• Additional strategies included "to show commitment and interest," "to have structure in the call and use support systems," "to pause the call," and "to reflect on difficult calls."
• Telenurses require a diverse set of strategies to effectively manage challenging calls.

Conclusions:

• Telenurses utilize a range of coping mechanisms to handle difficult calls.
• Maintaining composure and utilizing structured approaches are key to successful telenursing interactions.
• Further research into supporting telenurses in managing emotionally demanding situations is warranted.