UK Nurses Delivering Physical Activity Advice: What Are the Challenges and Possible Solutions? A Qualitative Study

There are a multitude of health benefits gained from regular physical activity (PA). Currently, PA advice implementation from NHS nurses is inadequate despite their ever-increasing role in lifestyle and preventive medicine. By assessing their knowledge of current PA guidance, this study proposed to...

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Published inInternational journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 20; no. 23; p. 7113
Main Authors Raghavan, Anoop, Vishnubala, Dane, Iqbal, Adil, Hunter, Ruth, Marino, Katherine, Eastwood, David, Nykjaer, Camilla, Pringle, Andy
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 27.11.2023
Subjects
Clinical Competence
COVID-19
Data analysis
Data collection
Demographics
Exercise
Humans
Interviews
Mental health
Nurses
Nursing
Patients
Public health
Qualitative Research
Referral and Consultation
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom > UK
awareness
nurses
advice
knowledge
physical activity
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Summary:There are a multitude of health benefits gained from regular physical activity (PA). Currently, PA advice implementation from NHS nurses is inadequate despite their ever-increasing role in lifestyle and preventive medicine. By assessing their knowledge of current PA guidance, this study proposed to investigate the issues with regular PA advice being given and expand upon nurses' proposed barriers and solutions. A qualitative approach using semi structured interviews was undertaken between March and August 2023 involving 13 NHS nurses. Thematic analysis was undertaken using Braun and Clarke's six step approach. Four themes and fifteen subthemes emerged as barriers and solutions in delivering PA advice. Intrinsic barriers included a lack of nurse knowledge on the topic and PA being seen as an afterthought. Extrinsic barriers included time pressures and a lack of staff engagement. Solutions involved increasing staff awareness of guidelines through teaching, policy, encouraging staff to be active and optimising PA advice delivery through a piecemeal approach and utilising online and visual resources. This study displayed an insight into nurses' thoughts on their consultations with patients regarding PA, and proposed several barriers and solutions. Further work is needed to improve nurses' PA knowledge and to assess the proposed strategies to improve its delivery.
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ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20237113