Experiences of emergency deparment nurses regarding the improper use of emergency deparments

This study was conducted to determine the experiences of emergency department nurses regarding the inappropriate use of emergency departments. The research was conducted qualitatively, purposeful sampling method was used in the research and phenomenological approach was adopted. The sample of the study consisted of 25 nurses working in the emergency department at a State Hospital. Data were collected with a nurse introduction form and a semi-structured interview questionnaire. The interviews were audio recorded with the knowledge and consent of the participants. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2024 program with descriptive / thematic analysis method. The findings were grouped under 12 themes. According to the main findings of the study; emergency departments are not used for their intended purpose mostly between 16.00-00.00. Most of the visits to emergency departments are due to the signs and symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, injections and dressings. The factors affecting this situation are mostly the desire for a quick response and lack of awareness. Failure to use emergency services for their intended purpose affects both nurses, patients and the institution. These effects include disruptions and delays in treatment, inability to receive effective and quality service, social, physical and psychological problems, financial burden and security problems. When all these problems are evaluated, problems related to inappropriate use of emergency services should be identified and their solution should be increased with analytical studies to be conducted with real data. Keywords: Emergency service; Nurse, Patient; Emergency departmen admission; Improper use.