Intensive Care Unit Staff Perceptions of Redeployment to Other Clinical Areas: A Mixed Method Approach

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff are frequently redeployed to other clinical areas during healthcare crises.
• Understanding staff perceptions and challenges during redeployment is vital for effective workforce management.
• Previous research has not fully explored the nuanced experiences of redeployed ICU staff.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the perceptions of intensive care unit staff redeployed to other clinical areas.
• To identify the challenges faced by ICU staff during redeployment.
• To provide recommendations for improving the redeployment experience.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 40 participants (nurses and healthcare assistants) completing an online questionnaire.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five nurses.
• Purposive sampling was used for participant recruitment from selected ICU/HDU settings.

Main Results:

• Content analysis revealed three key themes: negative feelings, positive feelings, and the impact of leadership interventions.
• Staff experienced both apprehension and opportunities for professional growth during redeployment.
• Visible and structured leadership interventions significantly influenced staff perceptions.

Conclusions:

• ICU nursing management must implement recommendations to enhance staff redeployment experiences.
• Addressing staff concerns and leveraging positive aspects can improve morale and retention.
• Improved redeployment strategies contribute to patient safety and institutional healthcare policies.