Asian Nurs Res.  2018 Mar;12(1):62-68. 10.1016/j.anr.2018.02.003.

An Interpretative Study on Nurses' Perspectives of Working in an Overcrowded Emergency Department in Taiwan

• Chen LC
• Lin CC
• Han CY
• Hsieh CL
• (Jo) Wu CJ
• Liang HF

• KMID: 2409872
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2018.02.003

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aims to gain in-depth understanding of nurses' perspectives of working in an overcrowded emergency.
METHODS
Symbolic interactionism and Charmaz's construction of grounded theory were used. Purposive sampling at the start of the study and a further theoretical sampling by snowball technique were used to recruit 40 registered nurses (RN) to participate in in-depth, semi-structured interviews betweenMay and November, 2014. Data analysis included analytic techniques of initial, focused and theoretical coding.
RESULTS
Study findings showed searching for work role is derived by the themes of Finding the role of positioning in Emergency Department (ED), Recognizing causes of ED overcrowding, and Confined working environment. Nurses' work experience which represents the RNs not gained control over their work, as care actions influenced by the problematic overcrowded circumstance of the ED environment.
CONCLUSION
The findings fill a gap in knowledge about how RNs experience their work role in the context of an overcrowded Emergency Department in Taiwan. Arising from the study result include taking account of nurses' perspectives when planning staff/patient ratios, strategies to reduce waiting time and ensure that clients receive appropriate care.

Keyword

crowding; emergency department; grounded theory; nurses

MeSH Terms

Clinical Coding
Crowding
Emergencies*
Emergency Service, Hospital*
Grounded Theory
Humans
Nurses
Statistics as Topic
Taiwan*