Abstract
M.Cur.
Emergency department overcrowding has been gaining increasing national and
international attention in recent years, yet little research has been conducted to
understand the professional nurses’ experience of this phenomenon. Critically ill
patients remain in the emergency department for an extended period while new patients
are arriving; creating a situation where the patient nurse ratio is unbalanced and the
emergency department becomes overcrowded. Professional nurses in the emergency
department have to care for these patients who require a one on one nurse to patient
ratio in the intensive care unit (ICU), as well as new arrivals to the emergency
department. The standard waiting timeframe for the critically ill patient from emergency
department admission to the transfer of the patient to the ICU is generally four hours;
however, patients can wait for up to six hours or further thus extending the waiting
period.
The aim of this research was to understand the experiences of professional nurses in
caring for critically ill patients in the emergency department and to described
recommendations for assisting professional nurses caring for critically ill patients in the
emergency department at an academic hospital in Gauteng. The research design used
was a qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual design. The accessible
population was professional nurses who care for critically ill patients in the emergency
department at an academic hospital in Gauteng. Five focus group interviews were
conducted comprising of five to six participants. The research question which was
addressed was: What are the experiences of professional nurses in caring for critically
ill patients in the emergency department at an academic hospital in Gauteng?
Data saturation was reached on the fifth focus group interview. The data was
transcribed verbatim from a tape recorder and field notes were written. Data analysis
was done using thematic coding of data. Ethical principles and measures of
trustworthiness were adhered to throughout the research study. The study revealed that
professional nurses experience frustration regarding the critically ill patient being cared
for in the emergency department, a lack of support. Participants made suggestions for
improvement for assisting professional nurses caring for critically ill patients in the
emergency department at an academic hospital in Gauteng.