TY - JOUR
T1 - Making sense of a new nursing role
T2 - A phenomenological study of an organizational change
AU - Smith-Blair, Nan
AU - Smith, Barbara L.
AU - Bradley, Katherine J.
AU - Gaskamp, Carol
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Although health care organizational change is a constant phenomenon, little is understood as to how staff experience this change. Unsuccessful change efforts have suggested the possible important relationship between understanding staff's experience and improved results. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what staff on a medical-surgical unit experience during the initial phase of the implementation of a nursing care coordinator position, a first step in a broad organizational change. A purposeful sample of 11 nursing and nonnursing staff, considered unit experts, were interviewed using broad, open-ended questions designed to solicit their experience. Additionally, observations and document abstraction were used to add depth and clarification to the interviews. Analysis of data was conducted using a combination of Giorgi's and Colaizzi's procedures. Contextual elements framing staff's experiences included introduction of a new role with no organizational history into an increasingly demanding environment that staff perceived as constantly changing. Major themes of "experiencing the effect" and "struggling to make sense" were revealed. These findings suggest that the introduction of a new role can create turmoil and job insecurity in the current health care environment. Recommendations to support staff's efforts to "make sense" are provided.
AB - Although health care organizational change is a constant phenomenon, little is understood as to how staff experience this change. Unsuccessful change efforts have suggested the possible important relationship between understanding staff's experience and improved results. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what staff on a medical-surgical unit experience during the initial phase of the implementation of a nursing care coordinator position, a first step in a broad organizational change. A purposeful sample of 11 nursing and nonnursing staff, considered unit experts, were interviewed using broad, open-ended questions designed to solicit their experience. Additionally, observations and document abstraction were used to add depth and clarification to the interviews. Analysis of data was conducted using a combination of Giorgi's and Colaizzi's procedures. Contextual elements framing staff's experiences included introduction of a new role with no organizational history into an increasingly demanding environment that staff perceived as constantly changing. Major themes of "experiencing the effect" and "struggling to make sense" were revealed. These findings suggest that the introduction of a new role can create turmoil and job insecurity in the current health care environment. Recommendations to support staff's efforts to "make sense" are provided.
KW - Differential nursing practice
KW - Phenomenology
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U2 - 10.1016/S8755-7223(99)80064-7
DO - 10.1016/S8755-7223(99)80064-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 10641479
AN - SCOPUS:0033219250
SN - 8755-7223
VL - 15
SP - 340
EP - 348
JO - Journal of Professional Nursing
JF - Journal of Professional Nursing
IS - 6
ER -