Nurses’ and Midwives’ experiences and views about responding to out of work emergencies: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study

Carolyn Crouchman *, Lauren Griffiths, Ruth Harris, Keiran Henderson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
85 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Aim: To explore nurses' and midwives' experiences, views, perceptions and impact on their responses to out of work emergencies where first aid may be required. Design: A constructivist grounded theory study was conducted between 2012 and 2019. Methodology: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 16 nurses and midwives. Participants were recruited via a participant referral process with registered nurses and midwives being accessed from three NHS organizations. Data were analysed and coded using constant comparative analysis with the support of Nvivo 10 software leading to the construction of a substantive grounded theory. Results: A core enduring in vivo theme, ‘The Right Thing to Do’, emerged as a central conceptual reality constructed via three key in vivo themes; ‘Something I've Heard’, ‘Am I Covered?’ and ‘Just Who I Am’, each with several sub-themes. A pervading anxiety about responding at off-duty situations requiring first aid was persistently evident across these themes. Conclusion: The study showed a strong sense of moral agency among nurses and midwives, despite a powerful underlying feeling of anxiety surrounding broader issues of urban myth, protection and personal and professional identity. The substantive theory emerged as ‘doing "The Right Thing" in a climate of anxiety’. Impact: The study illuminates an area that has previously been the subject of anecdotal debate. The substantive theory, ‘doing "The Right Thing" in a climate of anxiety’ illustrates the issues and tensions that exist surrounding the off-duty response. Implications and recommendations for practice and education focus on the fostering of knowledge and understanding of professional identity, position in law and scope of practice, together with potential future research directions. This work provides the first in-depth qualitative study contributing a significant new perspective both nationally and globally.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1755-1772
Number of pages18
JournalJournal of Advanced Nursing
Volume78
Issue number6
Early online date11 Jan 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2022

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nurses’ and Midwives’ experiences and views about responding to out of work emergencies: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this