Perception of nurse managers’ care coordination practices among nurses at the unit level

Introduction Nursing practice demands coordination of activities within and across units to enable quality delivery of healthcare services. Nurse managers are best positioned to ensure effective care coordination at the operational level in the hospitals. The purpose of this study was to examine the care coordination practices of nurse managers at the unit level. Methods A quantitative exploratory descriptive approach using a cross-sectional survey design was used to collect data from 522 nurses in 19 hospitals in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Descriptive and regression analyses were performed to describe the sample and to predict the behaviour of nurse managers. The systems model was used as a conceptual framework for the survey. Data collection was from October 2015 to March 2016. Results The response rate for collection of data was 95.7%. Nurse managers exhibited an acceptable level of care coordination practices. Nurse managers’ characteristics together predicted the care coordination practices at the unit (R2=0.111, p < 0.001). The unit, unit workload, experience as a nurse manager, and work duration with nurses were the significant predictors in the regression model. Discussion Care coordination is needed at the unit level to prevent conflict, overlapping, and constant interdepartmental friction which enables nurses to take a broad overview of coordinated care instead of myopic observation and reflection in the unit. Nurse managers are best positioned to coordinate care due to their vast professional knowledge and experience. Effective communication, good interpersonal relationship, and good listening skills are essential coordination practices critical to the efficiency of the unit.