Work Interruptions as a Source of Knowledge When Nurses Administer Medicines in Nursing Homes: Hermeneutic Approach to Narratives

Abstract

Nurses administer medicines amidst constant interruptions. They must simultaneously perform other tasks, such as direct patient care or addressing system failures. However, there is a lack of research relating to nurses’ perspectives on these work interruptions: what they are, and what they are not. The purpose of this chapter is to elucidate nurses’ perspectives on and experience of work interruptions, as well as discuss the significance of their perspectives for safe drug management among nursing home residents. The study has a qualitative design. Data consisted of narratives on work interruptions shared by nurses. The narratives were analyzed, and a sample narrative was developed using Gadamer’s hermeneutical circle. The narrative stems from several years of experience as a nurse administering medicines in nursing homes, and as a researcher doing field studies, along with testimony developed from narratives nurses shared on how they view work interruptions during medicine rounds. In a sample narrative, a nurse reflects on administering medicines during constant interruptions in a somatic ward in a Norwegian nursing home. The residents’ needs define whether a work interruption is a work interruption, or a source of knowledge important for medication treatment and care in nursing homes.