Hospital staff corridor conversations: work in passing.
- González-Martínez E Department of Social Sciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Bangerter A Institute of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- Lê Van K Department of Social Sciences, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
- Navarro C Institut de sciences sociales des religions contemporaines, University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
- 2015-11-20
Published in:
- Journal of advanced nursing. - 2016
contingent encounters
corridor conversation
corridor occupation
hospital staff
mobility
multimodal conversation analysis
nurses
outpatient clinic
professional communication
video-based research
Communication
Humans
Interprofessional Relations
Outpatient Clinics, Hospital
Personnel, Hospital
Switzerland
English
AIMS
First, to document the prevalence of corridor occupations and conversations among the staff of a hospital clinic, and their main features. Second, to examine the activities accomplished through corridor conversations and their interactional organization.
BACKGROUND
Despite extensive research on mobility in hospital work, we still know fairly little about the prevalence and features of hospital staff corridor conversations and how they are organized.
DESIGN
We conducted a study combining descriptive statistical analysis and multimodal conversation analysis of video recordings of staff corridor practices in a hospital outpatient clinic in Switzerland.
METHODS
In 2012, we collected 59 hours of video recordings in a corridor of a hospital clinic. We coded and statistically analysed the footage that showed the clinic staff exclusively. We also performed qualitative multimodal conversation analysis on a selection of the recorded staff conversations.
RESULTS
Corridor occupations by the clinic staff are frequent and brief and rarely involve stops. Talk events (which include self-talk, face-to-face conversations and telephone conversations) during occupations are also brief and mobile, overwhelmingly focus on professional topics and are particularly frequent when two or more staff members occupy the corridor. The conversations present several interactional configurations and comprise an array of activities consequential to the provision of care and work organization.
CONCLUSION
These practices are related to the fluid work organization of a spatially distributed team in a fast-paced, multitasking environment and should be taken into consideration in any undertaking aimed at improving hospital units' functioning.
First, to document the prevalence of corridor occupations and conversations among the staff of a hospital clinic, and their main features. Second, to examine the activities accomplished through corridor conversations and their interactional organization.
BACKGROUND
Despite extensive research on mobility in hospital work, we still know fairly little about the prevalence and features of hospital staff corridor conversations and how they are organized.
DESIGN
We conducted a study combining descriptive statistical analysis and multimodal conversation analysis of video recordings of staff corridor practices in a hospital outpatient clinic in Switzerland.
METHODS
In 2012, we collected 59 hours of video recordings in a corridor of a hospital clinic. We coded and statistically analysed the footage that showed the clinic staff exclusively. We also performed qualitative multimodal conversation analysis on a selection of the recorded staff conversations.
RESULTS
Corridor occupations by the clinic staff are frequent and brief and rarely involve stops. Talk events (which include self-talk, face-to-face conversations and telephone conversations) during occupations are also brief and mobile, overwhelmingly focus on professional topics and are particularly frequent when two or more staff members occupy the corridor. The conversations present several interactional configurations and comprise an array of activities consequential to the provision of care and work organization.
CONCLUSION
These practices are related to the fluid work organization of a spatially distributed team in a fast-paced, multitasking environment and should be taken into consideration in any undertaking aimed at improving hospital units' functioning.
- Language
-
- English
- Open access status
- green
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.1111/jan.12842
- PMID 26582594
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/46274
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