Redeployment Among Primary Care Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing workforce management
• Public health emergency preparedness
• Qualitative health research

Background:

• Primary care nurses were frequently redeployed during the COVID-19 pandemic to address staffing shortages.
• Limited research exists on primary care nurses' perceptions and experiences of pandemic-related redeployment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe primary care nurses' perspectives on redeployment.
• To discuss the opportunities and challenges of redeploying primary care nurses.
• To examine the nature of redeployment for primary care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews.
• Participants included Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, and Licensed/Registered Practical Nurses.
• Interviews conducted across four Canadian regions: British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Main Results:

• Three themes emerged: 'Call to redeployment,' 'Redeployment as an opportunity/challenge,' and 'Scope of practice during redeployment.'
• Nurses reported variations in redeployment processes, including communication and policies.
• Experiences varied regarding opportunities (e.g., scheduling flexibility) and challenges (e.g., workload, scope of practice concerns), with most redeployments being voluntary.

Conclusions:

• Redeployment is a valuable strategy for public health emergencies but necessitates a structured, inclusive process.
• Healthcare providers affected by redeployment should be involved in decision-making.
• Primary care nurses should only be redeployed after exploring alternatives and ensuring continuity of care in their original practice areas.