Visitors and equipment failure as predictors of interruptions among nurses

Abstract

Aim: To discover the perceived level of nursing interruptions during care activities. The study evaluates the contributing factors of alarms, equipment failures, visitors, and telephone calls in predicting interruptions according to the site of nurses’ work. It also examines the potential association of demographic factors of nurses with interruption levels. Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: The study included nurses working at a tertiary hospital in Amman, the capital of Jordan. Data collections were carried out between May and July 2020. The analysis was performed using 257 valid questionnaires, compromising 128 male and 129 female respondents. The study used a nursing interruptions scale and an interruptions scale related to patients and hospitals. Results: Results indicated that the participating nurses generally experienced a high level of interruptions during nursing care activities. Visitors were found to be the main predictor of nursing interruptions on the surgical / medical floor; whereas equipment failure was found to be the main predictor of nursing interruptions in intensive care units. Finally, the demographic factors of marital status and educational level were associated with interruptions. Conclusion: Visitors and equipment failures are the main predictors of interruptions during nursing care activities. Our results provide a clear explanation for organizations, nurse managers, and clinicians of the factors behind nursing interruptions.