Nurse perspectives in the emergency department: The synergy tool in workload management and work engagement

AIM: To explore emergency nurses' perceptions of how a nurse-driven patient needs assessment tool, the synergy tool, influenced their workload management. BACKGROUND: Quadruple Aim, particularly the fourth aim of improved staff work experiences, served as the conceptual framework to engage nurses in a participatory action research project. This project took place between 2017 and 2020 in two tertiary care emergency departments in one large Canadian city. METHOD: This study employed a qualitative descriptive component, focus group interviews and nurse comments on two open-ended survey questions. RESULTS: Use of the synergy tool heightened nurses' awareness of patients' holistic care needs. Nurses also stated how patient needs assessment data helped them identify unsafe workloads. CONCLUSIONS: The synergy tool, adapted for emergency department use by nurses, was a means to engage and empower nurses. Patient needs assessment data from the tool identified staffing gaps, resulting in additional nursing staff for both emergency departments. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: A focus on patient needs assessment can be an effective way to address nurses' workload concerns.