Social Responsibility and Commitment to Children; Pediatric Nurses’ Experiences With Redeployment During the First Wave of Covid-19

A Qualitative Study

Bibliographic Data

ID13775479
AuthorsNina Margrethe Kynø (0000-0002-3046-3554, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway, corresponding author), Anette Winger (0000-0002-9751-9698, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway), Edel Jannecke Svendsen (0000-0002-8767-3114, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway), Tove Elisabeth Augustin Børsting (Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway)
Year2024
Volume61
Pages469580241238419-469580241238419
Publication date2024-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueINQUIRY The Journal of Health Care Organization Provision and Financing (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0046-9580 • E-ISSN: 1945-7243
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00469580241238419
PMID38488209
OpenAlexW4392887521
LanguageEN
References cited23

COVID-19 represented a challenge for health care worldwide and led to new tasks and a rethinking of resource use. It was necessary to establish capacity within hospitals and to reassign critical resources between hospitals. This study aimed to explore pediatric nurses' experiences of redeployment, new tasks, and use of specialized competencies during the first wave of COVID-19. An exploratory design, involving qualitative individual interviews with 12 pediatric nurses was used. The analysis resulted in 3 main themes. Firstly, a feeling of social responsibility focused on how pediatric nurses felt committed to use their competencies during the crisis, whether they remained on the pediatric ward or were redeployed. Secondly, fewer children to counterbalance the shortage of pediatric nurses showed how redeployment was offset by fewer pediatric patients. Thirdly, adapting pediatric nursing competencies to new tasks described how the nurses adapted their skills to new tasks either in pediatric or adult wards. The results revealed that pediatric nurses had a social and ethical commitment to society in a crisis. They agreed to be redeployed and take on new tasks but were still concerned about the health and well-being of the children and their families, which led to a sense of ambivalence. They questioned whether their skills were being used appropriately in redeployment to adult wards. Fewer pediatric patients mitigated the workload of the remaining nurses. There is a risk of neglecting the needs of hospitalized children and their families during a pandemic. There was concern that "voluntary coercion" was a counterproductive strategy for reassignment

Ambivalence · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Feeling · Pandemic · Qualitative research · Workload · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Disaster Response and Management · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology

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