An Interruption Management Education Bundle: Feasibility Testing With Nursing Students.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare simulation
• Nursing education
• Patient safety

Background:

• Interruptions and distractions are common in healthcare, increasing error risks and reducing efficiency.
• Strategies are needed to mitigate the negative impacts of healthcare interruptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of an education bundle for managing interruptions.
• To evaluate simulated scenarios with embedded interruptions for nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Nineteen undergraduate nursing students participated in a repeated-measures, multimethods feasibility study.
• Direct observation of simulated medication administration and semistructured interviews were used.
• Interruption management behaviors and perceptions of the education bundle were collected.

Main Results:

• Participants found simulated scenarios realistic and the interruption management strategy easy to learn and apply (average 4 seconds).
• Students reported increased confidence in managing interruptions after training.
• The strategy was perceived as feasible and acceptable.

Conclusions:

• The education bundle and interruption management strategy are feasible and acceptable for nursing students.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the strategy's impact on errors and task completion times.