Assertive outreach nurses’ experience of engagement

Abstract

There are currently no studies available in the literature to highlight nurses' experiences of the assertive outreach (AO) engagement process. This study aimed to understand how AO nurses experience this process and what can be learned from it. The participants were five nurses working in a rural AO service in one county. Methodological considerations were rooted in the work of Martin Heidegger and the data analysed using the hermeneutic phenomenological thematic method. The data-gathering tool was semi-structured interviews. Seven major themes emerged to construct the nurses' understanding of their experience of assertive engagement. These were: (1) having time; (2) anticipatory persistence and tired dejection; (3) pressure, relief and satisfaction; (4) being the human professional confluence; (5) accepting anxiety and fear; (6) working and learning together; and (7) bringing the caring attitude. This paper focuses on the seven emerging themes and discusses the implications and recommendations for nurses practising in the AO setting.