Swedish emergency nurses' experiences of the preconditions for the safe collection of blood culture in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To describe how Swedish emergency nurses experience the preconditions of providing safe care during the COVID-19 pandemic when collecting blood culture in the emergency department. DESIGN: A qualitative exploratory design using content analysis with a manifest approach. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 emergency nurses working in the emergency department. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in one main category unprecedented preconditions create extraordinary stress and jeopardize safe care when collecting blood culture. This main category includes four additional categories organizational changes, challenges in the isolation room, heavy workload creates great stress, and continuous learning. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 outbreak has made the emergency department a workplace where constant changes of routines combined with new information and reorganization risk jeopardize safe care during blood culture sampling. Accordingly, high workload and stress have been identified as a reason for emergency nurses not following guidelines. It is therefore necessary to optimize the preconditions during blood culture sampling and identify situations where there are shortcomings.