Nurses’ experiences of managing sick‐listing issues in telephone advisory services at primary health care centres

Abstract

The nurses experienced stress and difficulties related to being gatekeepers and related to the act of balancing different demands from patients, co-workers and the organisation. This in combination with the lack of training caused the nurses to state that they did not want responsibility for managing sick-listing issues. Sufficient documentation, education, routines, support of and discussions with other professionals at the primary healthcare centre could be ways of improving nurses' and other professionals' management of sick-listing issues.

Frequent callers in primary health care – a qualitative study with a nursing perspective

“…This two‐fold role consists of both caring for the caller and gatekeeping for the healthcare organization (Holmström & Dall’ Alba ), which might create ethical dilemmas (Lännerström et al . ). Greenberg () has proposed a commonly used model of the process of telephone nursing.…”

Registered nurses’ work with sick leave questions by telephone in primary health care

“…Previous studies confirm a need for more education in social insurance medicine among both RNs (Müssener & Linderoth , Lännerström et al . ) and physicians (Löfgren et al . ).…”

“…During the phone call, the RN makes an assessment for appropriate action, which can involve making an appointment, giving information and guidance and/or helping preserve the patient's rights (Lännerström et al . ).…”

“…These difficulties are related to patients’ expectations of being sick‐listed, cooperation with other professionals, lack of education, and balancing various demands from patients, co‐workers and the organisation (Lännerström et al . ). The second study, also a focus group study, is an evaluation of an education intervention involving RNs in social insurance medicine (Müssener & Linderoth ).…”

“…To our knowledge, there are only two small qualitative Swedish studies published describing RNs’ work by telephone in relation to sick leave (Müssener & Linderoth , Lännerström et al . ); no internationally performed studies have been found. The first study, a focus group study with 14 RNs working by telephone at PHCCs, describes that RNs experience difficulties handling SLQs.…”