Unveiling the Multilevel Drivers of Presenteeism in Emergency Nursing: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Health, Work, and Organizational Dynamics.

OBJECTIVE

This study seeks to identify the factors influencing presenteeism among emergency nurses to inform the development of strategies aimed at reducing presenteeism in the emergency department setting.

METHODS

This study adopted a qualitative design informed by a descriptive phenomenological perspective. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 15 emergency nurses from a tertiary hospital for semistructured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews. The interview guide was informed by the theoretical framework of presenteeism behavior, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological analysis method.

RESULTS

Our research identified that presenteeism among emergency nurses is influenced by personal health factors, including physical and psychological well-being, work-related factors such as job satisfaction, burnout, and job performance, and social and organizational support factors, including family support, collegial and team support, and institutional policies. The analysis culminated in the identification of three main themes and eight subthemes.

CONCLUSION

Emergency nurses exhibit a positive professional stance and employ strategic responses to presenteeism. Multilevel interventions involving individual engagement, social support, collegial and team support, and organizational policies may help mitigate presenteeism, enhance nursing performance and satisfaction, and consequently elevate the overall quality of nursing care and patient safety.