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Anteayer Journal of Advanced Nursing

Remote area nurses' experiences of workplace safety in very remote primary health clinics: A qualitative study

Abstract

Aim

To explore Remote Area Nurses' experiences of the implementation of workplace health and safety policies and risk mitigation strategies in Australian very remote primary health clinics.

Design

This qualitative study used online semi-structured interviews, with participants purposively sampled to maximize variation in work location and service type. Data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Coding was carried out inductively, with NVivo 12 aiding data management.

Setting

The interviews were conducted from 24 Februrary 2021 to 06 March 2021 with Remote Area Nurses from very remote primary health clinics in Australia.

Participants

Fifteen Remote Area Nurses participated in the study.

Results

Thematic analysis revealed varied approaches to workplace safety among the different health services and regions. While the spread of ‘never alone’ policies in many clinics addressed one of the significant risks faced by Remote Area Nurses, gaps remained even for hazards specifically highlighted in existing work health and safety legislation. Meaningful collaboration with staff and the community, local orientation, preparation for the role and providing quality care were protective factors for staff safety. Understaffing, unsafe infrastructure and inadequate equipment were common concerns among Remote Area Nurses.

Conclusion

Health services need to prioritize workplace safety and take a continuous quality improvement approach to its implementation. This will include ensuring safety strategies are appropriate for the local context, improving infrastructure maintenance, and establishing sustainable second responder systems such as a pool of drivers with local knowledge.

Implications for the Profession

Poor personal safety contributes to burnout and high turnover of staff. Nurses' insights into the barriers and enablers of current workplace safety strategies will aid policymakers and employers in future improvements.

Reporting Method

COREQ reporting guidelines were followed.

PIPE Statement

A panel of six Remote Area Nurses collaborated in the development of this project.

Reframing care while enduring the traumatic nature of witnessing disrupted family‐patient‐nurses' relationships during COVID‐19

Abstract

Aim

To describe the lived experiences of nurses caring for patients and families in the context of COVID-19 in Brazil and United States.

Design

A phenomenological philosophical approach following the van Manen analysis method.

Methods

Participants were recruited in Brazil and the United States, including nurses working in health care settings caring for COVID-19 patients. Recruitment used purposive and snowball sampling. Participants completed a demographic survey and semi-structured interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed for analysis. A cross-cultural examination occurred among researchers from each country.

Results

The result was described (n = 35) by the themes, representing the essences of each lifeworld (relationship, time, space and body). The nurses' lived experience was one of reframing care while enduring repeated trauma of witnessing disrupted patient-family-nurse relationships. Themes were as follows: (a) Living a silent and lonely experience; (b) Providing connectedness for disrupted patient and family relationships; (c) Feeling the burden of the demands; (d) Being a helping connector; (e) Reshaping spaces amidst evolving interventions and policies; (f) Creating safe spaces, surrounded by turmoil, threat, and distress within an unsafe environment; (g) Reorganizing care and reframing time; (h) Reconciling losses, regrets, victories and lessons.

Conclusion

The nurses' lived experience of caring for patients and families during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the need to respond to repeated traumas and distress posed by interrupted patient-family and nurse-own family relationships, vulnerable bodies, threatened space and dynamic and volatile time.

Impact

Cultural nuances were discovered depending on the practice setting, political discourse and the autonomy of the nurse. Innovative models of care that create structures and processes to support nurses in caring for patients in threatening environments and the commitment to connecting family members have potential to contribute to the ongoing health of the nursing profession.

Using a novel ambulatory monitoring system to support patient safety on an acute infectious disease ward during an unfolding pandemic

Abstract

Aim

To gain staff feedback on the implementation and impact of a novel ambulatory monitoring system to support coronavirus patient management on an isolation ward.

Design

Qualitative service evaluation.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 multidisciplinary isolation ward staff in the United Kingdom between July 2020 and May 2021. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

Adopting Innovation to Assist Patient Safety was identified as the overriding theme. Three interlinked sub-themes represent facets of how the system supported patient safety. Patient Selection was developed throughout the pandemic, as clinical staff became more confident in choosing which patients would benefit most. Trust In the System described how nurses coped with discrepancies between the ambulatory system and ward observation machines. Finally, Resource Management examined how, once trust was built, staff perceived the ambulatory system assisted with caseload management. This supported efficient personal protective equipment resource use by reducing the number of isolation room entries. Despite these reported benefits, face-to-face contact was still highly valued, despite the risk of coronavirus exposure.

Conclusion

Hospital wards should consider using ambulatory monitoring systems to support caseload management and patient safety. Patients in isolation rooms or at high risk of deterioration may particularly benefit from this additional monitoring. However, these systems should be seen as an adjunct to nursing care, not a replacement.

Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care

Nurses valued ambulatory monitoring as a means of ensuring the safety of patients at risk of deterioration and prioritizing their workload.

Impact

The findings of this research will be useful to all those developing or considering implementation of ambulatory monitoring systems in hospital wards.

Reporting Method

This manuscript follows the Consolidated criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines with inclusion of relevant SQUIRE guidelines for reporting quality improvement.

Patient or Public Contribution

No Patient or Public Contribution.

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