Management of Patients’ and Nurses’ vulnerability to acute illness in Emergency Units

Background: Managing acute illnesses in emergency units poses significant challenges to nurses, compromising their health and well-being. Aims: This mixed-method study assessed the management pattern of patients with acute illnesses and nurses’ vulnerability in two Nigerian teaching hospitals. Methods: A convergent parallel study design was used, involving 92 nurses from emergency units. A three-section questionnaire research instrument adopting a crosssectional survey type was used to collect quantitative data, and an in-depth interview schedule for qualitative data. Descriptive statistical analysis was done on quantitative data, and thematic analysis using inferential statistics, at α = 0.05, was used for qualitative data analysis using IBM SPSS version 27. Results: Results showed that 48.9% of nurses were highly vulnerable, citing understaffing, poor infrastructure, and lack of institutional support as factors responsible for nurses’ vulnerability. Coping strategies included time off duty (mean=3.27) and talking to colleagues (mean=3.27). Nurses faced intense physical, emotional, and social challenges, leading to stress and burnout. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a significant association between management patterns and nurse vulnerability (p