Undergraduate Nursing Students and Management of Interruptions: Preparation of Students for Future Workplace Realities

The aim of this study was to investigate interruption management strategies and associative cues used by nursing students when interrupted during simulated medication administration.

Interruptions occur with high frequency in health care settings and are associated with increased medication errors and decreased task efficiency. The Altmann and Trafton memory for goals model, a cognitive-science model, proposes use of associative cues during an interruption to mitigate these negative effects.

A mixed-methods, two-site study explored associative cues and other management strategies that nursing students used when interrupted during simulated medication administration. Data were collected via direct observation and semistructured interviews.

Students primarily multitasked (66.7 percent) during the interruption. Few students (5.5 percent) used associative cues. Students voiced the need for education and practice on how to manage interruptions.

Evidence-based strategies are required to prepare nursing students for workplace interruptions. Use of associative cues during interruptions warrants further investigation.