Nurse perspectives in the emergency department: The synergy tool in workload management and work engagement.

AIM

To explore emergency nurses' perceptions of how a nurse-driven patient needs assessment tool, the synergy tool, influenced their workload management.

BACKGROUND

Quadruple Aim, particularly the fourth aim of improved staff work experiences, served as the conceptual framework to engage nurses in a participatory action research project. This project took place between 2017 and 2020 in two tertiary care emergency departments in one large Canadian city.

METHOD

This study employed a qualitative descriptive component, focus group interviews and nurse comments on two open-ended survey questions.

RESULTS

Use of the synergy tool heightened nurses' awareness of patients' holistic care needs. Nurses also stated how patient needs assessment data helped them identify unsafe workloads.

CONCLUSIONS

The synergy tool, adapted for emergency department use by nurses, was a means to engage and empower nurses. Patient needs assessment data from the tool identified staffing gaps, resulting in additional nursing staff for both emergency departments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

A focus on patient needs assessment can be an effective way to address nurses' workload concerns.