Welcome

Are you a nurse working in a hospital? Great to have you here on this page! Here, you’ll find information about interruptions in healthcare, along with tips to help reduce them on your ward.

The goal of this page is to raise awareness about unnecessary interruptions and inspire readers to address the practice of interrupting in their workplace. By reducing less useful interruptions, we aim to lower work pressure and increase job satisfaction.

Introduction

As a nurse, you are often interrupted in your activities. This is normal in a complex setting like a hospital. Interruptions arise due to factors such as the unpredictability of care, the condition of the patient, and the need to communicate with colleagues and other disciplines. Organizing and coordinating care also contributes to interruptions.

Effects of Interruptions

While interruptions are part of the job, they can also be disruptive, especially during a busy shift. Research shows that interruptions can lead to errors and mistakes, which may impact patient safety. Moreover, not all interruptions are likely to be useful or necessary.

Too many interruptions can create a sense of restlessness and mental overload, increasing the perceived workload. At the same time, it is difficult to ignore an interruption, as you want to provide good care and be there for your colleagues, even if it means putting off other tasks. Interruptions often come at the expense of breaks and moments of rest.

Research

Martine Vecht conducted research on interruptions among nurses. She found that nurses are so accustomed to being interrupted that they barely notice how frequently it happens. This is unfortunate because raising awareness can significantly reduce the number of interruptions. This reduction decreases errors and mistakes, lowers the feeling of work pressure, and makes it easier for nurses to take breaks.

Examples

Below are examples of unnecessary interruptions. These interruptions can be prevented by, for instance, improving processes or establishing better agreements.

  • You are working on the computer at the team station. A colleague asks you how Mr. Draaisma is doing, as he was in poor condition yesterday. However, this information is already documented in the patient’s file.
  • The dietitian has visited and wants to share her plan with you because she cannot reach the doctor. Now, you must find the doctor to pass along the information.
    Additional tests are required for Mr. Draaisma. The doctor is busy and asks you to request these tests.
  • Mr. Draaisma is being transferred to a hospice. You handle the necessary arrangements through the usual discharge procedure. That afternoon, you receive a phone call. The transfer agency still has questions.
  • While on your way to see Mr. Draaisma, you run into a colleague in the hallway. She is looking for materials and asks, “Do you know where the slide sheets are?”

Putting Interruptions on the Agenda

But how do you bring interruptions to the forefront? On this page, you’ll find tips to help with that. You can also read blog posts from departments that have worked to reduce the number of interruptions.

Definition of an Interruption

“An unplanned disruption of attention while performing a task, leading to the task being stopped, temporarily paused, or even entirely abandoned.”

On this page, we focus on interruptions between people. This does not include:

  1. Sounds and other stimuli
  2. Events happening nearby
  3. The “voice” in your head

Positive Aspects of an Interruption

  • An (acute) issue is resolved immediately.
  • It can sometimes prevent errors because someone intervenes.
  • The interrupter (e.g., a student) can continue with their work.
  • You can continue your own work after receiving an answer.

Interruptions are part of working in a hospital! Patient conditions change, and care adapts accordingly.

Less Positive Aspects of an Interruption

  • Even less important matters receive immediate attention.
  • It increases the chance of procedural mistakes and errors.
  • You have to remember multiple things simultaneously — this is called cognitive load.
  • It takes time, and you may not complete your own tasks, which can lead to frustration.

Why Address Interruptions?

Why should you tackle interruptions? Here are a few good reasons:

  1. You’ll have more time for your patients.
  2. You’ll worry less about forgetting things or making mistakes.
  3. It becomes clearer what you should and shouldn’t focus on.
  4. You’ll concentrate on the tasks that are part of your job description.
  5. You’ll help others by making them more self-sufficient.
  6. You’ll be able to take calmer breaks or leave work on time.

Preventing Interruptions

How can you prevent interruptions? This often requires some investigation first. Consider the following:

  • Processes – How can we organize the work to minimize interruptions?
  • Your own behavior – Why do I interrupt others?
  • The behavior of others – Why do they interrupt me?
    • Incidents – It happens only once.
    • Patterns – It happens repeatedly (and often becomes irritating). This type of interruption is a good candidate to address.

Addressing interruptions requires a tailored approach, but it can yield significant benefits. In the blog posts in the column to the side, you’ll find a few inspirational stories.

Blogs

Can addressing interruptions make a difference? Often, it can! It raises awareness for both the person interrupting and the one being interrupted. Read about the experiences of nurses and caregivers here. It might inspire you with new ideas. The posts are in Dutch.

Werkdruk en toch pauzeren

Alweer die bel!

Rustmoment dankzij het medicatiehesje

onderbrekingen

Strategies

What do nurses typically do when they are interrupted?

  1. Respond to the interruption – Stop one task and switch to another. Research shows that in nearly 20% of cases, the first task is forgotten.
  2. Multitask – Attempt to do multiple things at once, which often leads to mental overload.
  3. Mediate – Use strategies to remember the first task (e.g., delegating, writing it down, or making a mental note). Many nurses carry a notepad for this reason (but don’t forget to process your notes later!).
  4. Prevent – Manage expectations by, for instance, letting others know when you’re busy or asking if there’s anything else they need before you take a break. Nurses could do this much more often.
  5. Block – Indicate that it’s not a good time, or refer to the patient information system, for example.