Swedish emergency nurses' experiences of the preconditions for the safe collection of blood culture in the emergency department during the COVID‐19 pandemic

• Main Authors: Gunilla Lundgren (Author), Mariette Bengtsson (Author), Andreas Liebenhagen (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wiley, 2023-03-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2054-1058; 10.1002/nop2.1416
• Keywords: blood culture contamination; COVID‐19; emergency nursing; emergency service; qualitative research; safe care; Nursing; RT1-120
• Source: Nursing Open, Vol 10, Iss 3, Pp 1619-1628 (2023)

Abstract Aim To describe how Swedish emergency nurses experience the preconditions of providing safe care during the COVID‐19 pandemic when collecting blood culture in the emergency department. Design A qualitative exploratory design using content analysis with a manifest approach. Method Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 13 emergency nurses working in the emergency department. Results The analysis resulted in one main category: unprecedented preconditions create extraordinary stress and jeopardize safe care when collecting blood culture. This main category includes four additional categories: organizational changes, challenges in the isolation room, heavy workload creates great stress, and continuous learning. Conclusion The COVID‐19 outbreak has made the emergency department a workplace where constant changes of routines combined with new information and reorganization risk jeopardize safe care during blood culture sampling. Accordingly, high workload and stress have been identified as a reason for emergency nurses not following guidelines. It is therefore necessary to optimize the preconditions during blood culture sampling and identify situations where there are shortcomings.