Table 2 Example of meaning unit, condensed meaning unit, interpretation, subtheme and theme, observation material

Nurses discuss how they should prioritize when there are major medical actions, large patient numbers and the need to attend to the MAW patients at the same time.

The nurses identified and anticipated conflicting work pressure as a potential consequence of the MAW.

The nurses drew on their oversight of patient care, location, organizational knowledge and anticipated future consequences and worries about how necessary arrangements could be made.

Temporal articulation

The nurses organizing work

A nurse closes the MAW. She finds it irresponsible to have it open in rough weather conditions that can isolate the community. The doctor becomes frustrated and finds her decision irresponsible and re-opens the MAW.

Different perspectives exist regarding what a MAW is and should be in the clinic and the community in general.

The nurses argued for their perspectives when negotiating for what they considered sound medical care, and at the same time made new arrangements to ensure the MAW was interconnected with the overall service.

Integrative articulation

A critically ill patient is admitted. A nurse explains how he/she did not see patients like that before, e.g., “My instinct as an emergency nurse is to send him to the hospital. Now I am responsible for monitoring and taking care of him while operating the emergency call centre”.

The MAW requires new care arrangements and skills to provide this type of care and treatment.

MAW forced the nurses to see both the clinic and their work in a new and different context and perspective.

To handle the new situation, the nurses wrote up new- and altered procedures, routines, etc. Through this, they created a safety net and concretized the MAW.

Material articulation