Charge nurses’ perceived experience in managing daily work and major incidents in emergency departments: A qualitative study
2022 (English)In: Australasian Emergency Care, ISSN 2588-994X, Vol. 25, no 4, p. 296-301Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background Emergency department charge nurses are expected to oversee the quality of patient care, direct work, and the allocation of resources. The charge nurse is the unit’s frontline leader, and he/she must have proper leadership training and support to carry out duties effectively. This study explores how charge nurses perceive their role in managing daily work and major incidents at the emergency department. Methods A qualitative study based on focus group discussions using a semi-structured interview. Participants were 12 charge nurses from four Swedish emergency departments. Results For data analysis, a systematic text condensation method was used. The analysis of data generated four categories: (1) Coping with chaos; (2) Need for further training; (3) Feeling of inadequacy; and (4) Lack of strategies. Conclusions The study concluded that the emergency department charge nurse has frontline duties that are diverse, multifaceted, require good leadership qualities, and lack detailed job description. Charge nurses confront many challenges in their daily work, often with little training or the opportunity to develop in their professional. This study provides understanding of the concerns charge nurses hold about working as frontline leaders and that departmental heads must support the education and training of their charge nurses.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2022. Vol. 25, no 4, p. 296-301
Keywords [en]
Charge nurse, Emergency preparedness, Emergency department, Leadership development
National Category
Nursing
Research subject
The Human Perspective in Care
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hb:diva-27775DOI: 10.1016/j.auec.2022.02.003ISI: 000869563400004Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85126557697OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hb-27775DiVA, id: diva2:1653938
2022-04-252022-04-252023-02-20Bibliographically approved