A concept analysis of the phenomenon interruption.

An interruption was found to have no consistent definition in either healthcare or nonhealthcare literature. Walker and Avant's 8-step method of concept analysis was used to clarify, define, and develop a conceptual model of interruption. The analysis led to the identification of 5 defining attributes that include (1) a human experience; (2) an intrusion of a secondary, unplanned, and unexpected task; (3) discontinuity; (4) externally or internally initiated; and (5) situated within a context. Use of the defining attributes will be extended to form a category of interruption within a taxonomy of activity.