| dc.description.abstract | Problem: Nursing is widely seen as a respected, trusted, and caring profession. Those who go into nursing often do so with a desire to provide compassionate care and feel as though they made a difference. As the need for nursing perspective grows within health care settings, more nurses step away from the bedside to apply their knowledge and skills in other areas. Project Aim: The aim of this study was to explore what nursing meant to those who no longer take direct care of patients, to describe how these nurses find fulfillment in their work, and thereby contribute understanding to strategies designed to retain more nurses in important non-bedside roles, such as managers, educators, researchers, quality improvement, etc. Project Method: Qualitative descriptive study data was collected through semi-structured interviews of nurses who previously practiced at the bedside but now contribute through non-bedside positions. Eight nurses from an urban, hospital-based setting participated in a voluntary 20 to 40-minute recorded interview. Data was then transcribed and analyzed through a thematic analysis method. Emergent themes were categorized, documented, and discussed. Findings: Through the course of the interviews several main themes continued to emerge. These included shift in focus of caring, ability to impact patients and families in new ways, emphasis on success of others, and perception of the nurse as a leader and a leader as a nurse. Conclusion: As healthcare continues to grow in complexity, it will be imperative to have strong nurses both at the bedside and in non-bedside roles. Organizations will need to fully understand what drives those in non-bedside roles to ensure that they can maintain their engagement and utilize their unique skills to meet the expanding needs of patients and colleagues for the future of healthcare. | |
