Journal article
To transfer or not to transfer: Aged care nurses’ decision-making in transferring residents to the emergency department
Collegian, Vol.28(2), pp.162-170
2021
Abstract
Background:
Nurses are key decision makers in residential aged care facilities and play a significant role in the transfer of residents from residential aged care facilities to emergency departments. There is scant literature about the role of nurses in the transfer decision-making process.
Aim:
To describe the experiences of residential aged care facility nurses who engage in decision-making to transfer residents to emergency department.
Methods:
This research has adopted interpretive qualitative approach of phenomenography. In-depth interviews were undertaken with 20 residential aged care facility nurses across two sites. Uniquely, drawing was used as one way to collect rich, textured data in these in-depth interviews.
Findings:
Six categories emerged to represent residential aged care facility nurses’ conceptions of decision-making about transferring a resident to the emergency department: “Being a marionette”; “Too dumb to have an opinion”; “Making the family happy”; “Not about the resident”; “Having experience”; and “Being on your own”.
Discussion:
Residential aged care facility nurses experienced decision-making as not being able to do what is right for the resident most of the time due to a myriad of factors, with heavy influence of other key stakeholders.
Conclusion:
Decision-making is described as a professional responsibility wherein residential aged care facility nurses face dilemmas related to the transfer of a resident to the emergency department and perceived as a constraint.
Details
- Title
- To transfer or not to transfer: Aged care nurses’ decision-making in transferring residents to the emergency department
- Authors
- Apil Gurung (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - LegacyMarguerite Claire Sendall (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyAlan Barnard (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Collegian, Vol.28(2), pp.162-170
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.colegn.2020.05.008
- ISSN
- 1876-7575
- Organisation Unit
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Nursing
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99472705502621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Nursing
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