Developing an intervention to manage professional isolation among emergency nurses working in Lesotho: an action research approach.
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Date
2023
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Abstract
Introduction: Professional isolation is described as a deficiency in one’s network of social
relations at work and is associated with compromised health service delivery and quality of life
among health professionals, particularly those working in low-resource environments.
Aim: to develop an intervention for managing professional isolation among emergency nurses
working in Lesotho.
Method: A mutually collaborative action research study, with an exploratory-descriptive
qualitative design, was conducted in the emergency departments of five selected hospitals in
Lesotho, with 25 purposively sampled registered nurses. A needs assessment was conducted
through a scoping review and focus group discussions, followed by the establishment of a
three-member research team (Cycle One). Thereafter, 13 individual interviews were conducted
to explore the perceptions of professional isolation among emergency nurses (Cycle Two). The
intervention, a Digital Community of Practice, was developed (Cycle Three) and facilitated
through WhatsApp platform, then was implemented and evaluated in Cycle Four.
Results: The scoping review highlighted there is limited literature on professional isolation
among health professionals and the focus group discussions revealed that participants
acknowledged that there was a need for such a study. Qualitative interviews exploring
professional isolation resulted in an overarching theme of ‘feeling like an island’ and three
categories; lack of interprofessional collaboration and consultation, skills mismatch, and
enforced loneliness. Following consultation with the research team, a digital community of
practice was developed for emergency nurses using the WhatsApp platform and then
implemented.
Conclusion
This study revealed that emergency nurses in Lesotho do experience professional isolation and
a digital community of practice developed using social media, such as WhatsApp, as a
communication tool, could be considered as an intervention strategy for managing professional
isolation among emergency nurses working in low-resource environments. However, it is
recommended that a larger-scale study be undertaken to encourage the motivation for
developing contextual interventions for addressing professional isolation in emergency care
settings.
Description
Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.