ORIGINAL RESEARCH: EMPIRICAL RESEARCH - QUANTITATIVE
Decision difficulties of long-term-care facility nurses in transferring residents to the emergency department: A cross-sectional nationwide study
Bor-An Chen,
Fu-Chih Lai,
Lee-Ing Tsao,
Hui-Hui Chien,
Chun-Fu Chen,
Chii Jeng,
Bor-An Chen
Emergency Department, Keelung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Keelung, Taiwan
Department of Nursing, Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Keelung, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorFu-Chih Lai
Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Nursing and College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorLee-Ing Tsao
School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorHui-Hui Chien
Nursing Department, Yuanshan Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Ilan, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChun-Fu Chen
Taipei Medical University-Shuang HO Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Chii Jeng
School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence
Chii Jeng, Professor, School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Xing Street, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorBor-An Chen,
Fu-Chih Lai,
Lee-Ing Tsao,
Hui-Hui Chien,
Chun-Fu Chen,
Chii Jeng,
Bor-An Chen
Emergency Department, Keelung Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Keelung, Taiwan
Department of Nursing, Ching Kuo Institute of Management and Health, Keelung, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorFu-Chih Lai
Post-Baccalaureate Nursing Program in Nursing and College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorLee-Ing Tsao
School of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorHui-Hui Chien
Nursing Department, Yuanshan Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Ilan, Taiwan
Search for more papers by this authorChun-Fu Chen
Taipei Medical University-Shuang HO Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Chii Jeng
School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
Correspondence
Chii Jeng, Professor, School of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Xing Street, Taipei 11031, Taiwan.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 23 February 2021
Funding information
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Abstract
Aims
To examine the level of decision difficulties of long-term-care facility (LTCF) nurses when transferring residents to the emergency department (ED) and associated influencing factors.
Design
A cross-sectional nationwide study.
Methods
The LTCFs were selected through random stratified sampling across the whole Taiwan during February 2018 to January 2019. LTCF nurses who met the selection criteria were invited to participate with two or three nurses selected from each LTCF. The Patient Transfer Decision Difficulty Scale (PTDDS) was used to measure the level of difficulty in making decisions related to the transfer of residents to the ED. Data were collected by mailing the questionnaires and asking the nurses to return the completed form in 2 weeks. Data were analysed using simple linear regression and multiple regression with stepwise methods.
Results
In total, 618 valid questionnaires with an 85.32% response rate from 319 LTCFs were used for the data analysis. Decision difficulties that LTCF nurses experienced were moderate, the nursing personnel-bed ratio, LTCF professional training and basic life support training were predictive factors of the level of difficulty experience (scores of PTDDS) for the LTCF nurse (F = 6.81, p < .001).
Conclusions
Enhancing emergency training in LTCF can improve nurses' decision-making ability to refer LTCF residents to emergency treatment.
Impact
- What problem did the study address? The study addressed the difficult decision LTCF nurses may experience when transferring a resident to the emergency department.
- What were the main findings? All LTCF nurses faced a moderate level of difficulty in decision-making. ‘Transfer timing’ was most often considered in the decision-making process when a resident was transferred to the ED.
- Where and on whom will the research have impact? Results of this study have considerable reference value for LTCF managers and nurses in the decision-making ability and suitability of transferring residents for emergency treatment.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
Data available on request from the authors
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