Mari Salminen-Tuomaala
Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Title: Challenges and factors likely to promote coping as anticipated by nurses preparing for a merger of intensive and intermediate care units
Biography
Biography: Mari Salminen-Tuomaala
Abstract
Organizational changes bring on challenges and increase hospital staff’s need for support. This study introduces a central hospital in Finland, which has sought to prepare for change by applying an anticipatory model and by arranging collaborative workshops for staff. In 2018, the hospital will open a new intensive and intermediate care unit, created with help of evidence-based design. The new unit will combine three existing units, currently responsible for cardiac observation and evaluation, intensive care. The purpose of the study was to describe nursing staff’s anticipated experiences of working in the new unit. The research questions were: What kind of challenges do members of the nursing staff anticipate when preparing for the introduction of the new unit? Which factors do nurses see as likely to promote their coping in the early stages of running the new unit? The target group consisted of nursing staff members in the current cardiac observation and evaluation, intensive care and surgical observation units. The method of empathy-based stories was used to acquire data because it allows participants to anticipate and reflect on future events. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. Respondents anticipated a great number of challenges in the transition to the new unit. The challenges were related to personal factors that affect coping at work, to co-operation among nursing staff and to the new work context. Respondents foresaw a need for support from colleagues’ in future clinical nursing situations. They believed that both informational, concrete and social support would be required.