The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper
Across the world, emergency department nurses care for patients around the clock all year long. They perform tasks ranging from direct nursing care to managing patient flow, working in an environment characterised by interdependencies among numerous actors. The complex context in which emergency nur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X24000973 |
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| author | Katarina E Göransson Jonathan Drennan Hanne Mainz Nanna Fauerholdt Skov Maria Amritzer Lena M Berg Karen V Andersen Marianne Lisby |
| author_facet | Katarina E Göransson Jonathan Drennan Hanne Mainz Nanna Fauerholdt Skov Maria Amritzer Lena M Berg Karen V Andersen Marianne Lisby |
| author_sort | Katarina E Göransson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Across the world, emergency department nurses care for patients around the clock all year long. They perform tasks ranging from direct nursing care to managing patient flow, working in an environment characterised by interdependencies among numerous actors. The complex context in which emergency nurses operate has not been thoroughly described or discussed, indicating a knowledge gap. Hence, the aim of this discussion paper is to describe and discuss nursing in the emergency department and the connection between patient flow and nursing care, drawing on the concept of complex adaptive systems.The acts of direct patient care and patient flow, when viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems, are central components of emergency nursing. Through a stepwise description of these two perspectives, based on literature and clinical experience from European countries, the paper illustrates the complexity of the emergency nursing context in a novel manner. We argue that direct patient care and patient flow, combined as patient flow management, constitute essential parts of the core of emergency department nursing. Further studies are needed to challenge or confirm this assertion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a1e9575336884fa48fa229a191d6529f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-142X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances |
| spelling | doaj-art-a1e9575336884fa48fa229a191d6529f2025-01-03T04:08:58ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Nursing Studies Advances2666-142X2025-06-018100270The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paperKatarina E Göransson0Jonathan Drennan1Hanne Mainz2Nanna Fauerholdt Skov3Maria Amritzer4Lena M Berg5Karen V Andersen6Marianne Lisby7School of Health and Welfare, Department of Caring Sciences, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden; Corresponding author.School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Systems, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandResearch Center for Emergency Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Clinical Nursing Research Unit, Aalborg University Hospital, DenmarkResearch Center for Emergency Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Emergency Department, Aarhus University Hospital, DenmarkKarolinska Institutet, Department of Medicine Solna, Stockholm, Sweden; Karolinska University Hospital, OO H, Emergency and Reparative Medicine Theme Huddinge, Stockholm, SwedenSchool of Health and Welfare, Department of Caring Sciences, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, SwedenResearch Center for Emergency Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Emergency Department, Aarhus University Hospital, DenmarkResearch Center for Emergency Medicine, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark; Emergency Department, Aarhus University Hospital, DenmarkAcross the world, emergency department nurses care for patients around the clock all year long. They perform tasks ranging from direct nursing care to managing patient flow, working in an environment characterised by interdependencies among numerous actors. The complex context in which emergency nurses operate has not been thoroughly described or discussed, indicating a knowledge gap. Hence, the aim of this discussion paper is to describe and discuss nursing in the emergency department and the connection between patient flow and nursing care, drawing on the concept of complex adaptive systems.The acts of direct patient care and patient flow, when viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems, are central components of emergency nursing. Through a stepwise description of these two perspectives, based on literature and clinical experience from European countries, the paper illustrates the complexity of the emergency nursing context in a novel manner. We argue that direct patient care and patient flow, combined as patient flow management, constitute essential parts of the core of emergency department nursing. Further studies are needed to challenge or confirm this assertion.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X24000973Emergency departmentsEmergency nursingEmergency service hospitalNurse's role |
| spellingShingle | Katarina E Göransson Jonathan Drennan Hanne Mainz Nanna Fauerholdt Skov Maria Amritzer Lena M Berg Karen V Andersen Marianne Lisby The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances Emergency departments Emergency nursing Emergency service hospital Nurse's role |
| title | The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper |
| title_full | The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper |
| title_fullStr | The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper |
| title_full_unstemmed | The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper |
| title_short | The scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems: A discussion paper |
| title_sort | scope of emergency nursing viewed through the lens of complex adaptive systems a discussion paper |
| topic | Emergency departments Emergency nursing Emergency service hospital Nurse's role |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666142X24000973 |
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