Understanding the work and decision-making strategies of bed management nurses: a systematic review
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Understanding the work and decision-making strategies of bed management nurses: a systematic review

Ellen Benjamin Nurse, University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Nursing, Amherst MA, US

Why you should read this article:
  • To recognise the crucial role of bed management nurses in effective patient flow processes

  • To enhance your understanding of the issues that bed management nurses commonly experience during decision-making, such as dealing with external pressures and conflicting priorities

  • To consider how nurse managers and hospital leaders could collaborate with bed management nurses and use their knowledge and experience during process improvement initiatives

The need for hospital-wide solutions to improve patient flow is broadly recognised. Bed management nurses are integral to patient flow processes, and recognition of their strengths and skills is crucial in implementing effective solutions, yet there is limited research describing their role.

This article details a systematic review of the literature on bed management nurses. Six themes were identified: complexity in a context of scarcity; dealing with external pressures and conflicting priorities; need for multiple decision-making strategies; uncertainty; need for training; and unrecognised yet important work. The findings could assist nurse managers and hospital leaders to promote communication, teamwork and coordination between hospital staff and bed management nurses.

Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2021.e2016

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

efbenjamin@umass.edu

Conflict of interest

None declared

Benjamin E (2021) Understanding the work and decision-making strategies of bed management nurses: a systematic review. Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2021.e2016

Published online: 05 October 2021

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more