Uncovering Caring Elements within Short Encounter among Emergency Room (E.R.) Staff Nurses at Hospitals in Lanao Del Sur: An Explanatory Sequential Study

The demanding and fast-paced environment of the emergency room can potentially diminish nurses' caring abilities, which are essential for providing compassionate and effective patient care even in brief interactions. To explore the caring elements exhibited by nurses during short encounters with patients in an emergency setting, a mixed-methods study employing an explanatory sequential approach was conducted. This study involved 97 stratified and purposively selected emergency room nurses from hospitals in Lanao Del Sur, who were observed practicing caring elements based on the content-validated Watson’s 10 Carative Elements of Caring. Subsequently, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were held with six emergency room nurses selected based on specific criteria, utilizing a semi-structured tool. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software version 25, while qualitative data were analyzed using Creswell’s strategy and MaxQDA Software. The findings revealed that young female nurses extensively practiced Watson’s 10 Carative Elements of Caring during their brief interactions with patients in the emergency room. However, thematic analysis of the qualitative data uncovered challenges to this practice, including resource limitations and understaffing, communication barriers, family involvement in decision-making, and emotional and physical strain, which impacted job satisfaction among the emergency room nurses. In conclusion, this study indicates that despite the challenging nature of the emergency room, nurses can maintain a high level of compassionate care, although factors such as resource limitations and understaffing can hinder their ability to fully implement caring elements, particularly those outlined in Watson’s 10 Carative Elements.