An Interruption Management Education Bundle: Feasibility Testing With Nursing Students

Interruptions and distractions are pervasive in health care settings, increase risks for errors, and decrease task efficiency. Researchers recommend the use of strategies to mitigate their negative effects.

The purpose was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of (1) an education bundle that included an interruption management strategy and (2) simulated scenarios with embedded interruptions and distractions.

Nineteen undergraduate nursing students participated in this repeated-measures, multimethods feasibility study. Data on interruption management behaviors were collected across 3 timepoints via direct observation of individual-simulated medication administration. Participants' perceptions of the education bundle were explored via semistructured interviews.

Participants described the simulated scenarios as realistic and interruption management strategy as easy to use and remember. Participants voiced increased confidence in handling interruptions after learning the strategy. The strategy averaged 4 seconds to apply.

Findings support the feasibility and acceptability of the bundle and need for studies to investigate the impact of the strategy on errors and task durations.