Open AccessWork interruptions and missed nursing care: A necessary evil or an opportunity? The role of nurses’ sense of controllability
Author(s) -
Abdelhadi Nasra,
DrachZahavy Anat,
Srulovici Einav
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
nursing open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.55
H-Index - 12
ISSN - 2054-1058
DOI - 10.1002/nop2.1064
Subject(s) - anger , nursing , controllability , perspective (graphical) , psychology , qualitative research , focus group , work (physics) , distress , medicine , social psychology , clinical psychology , computer science , sociology , social science , mechanical engineering , mathematics , artificial intelligence , anthropology , engineering
Aim To explore nurses’ experiences with work interruptions (WIs) through the lens of missed nursing care (MNC). Design A qualitative descriptive design. Methods Eleven small focus groups involving 34 nurses (three nurses per group on average) from acute‐care hospital wards were conducted. Nurses shared their experiences with WIs (sources, reactions and decisions) from the MNC perspective. Data analysis was conducted via content analysis. Results A preponderant theme emerged— the dynamic of controllability . Nurses who perceived a sense of controllability felt that they could decide whether to accept or reject the WI, regardless of WI type, and emotions of anger emerged. Conversely, nurses who did not perceive sense of controllability attended the secondary task: MNC occurred, and distress emotions emerged. Results emphasized that nurses are active agents prioritizing whether to omit or complete care in the face of WIs. Controllability, accompanied by active negative emotions, perpetuate a prioritization process that makes it less probable that MNC occurs.