Restorative Care Unit: A Focused Ethnography of Leadership in a 20- Bed Hospital

The creation of a restorative care unit (RCU) within an acute care environment caused a change in the nursing team relationships that impacted leadership and culture of the RCU. A focused ethnographic approach provided insight into the nursing team members’ (registered nurses [RNs], registered practical nurses [RPNs] and personal support workers [PSWs]) shared experiences, and the contextual factors that impacted the culture of the RCU. Critical Social Theory and intersectionality (Hankivsky & Christoffersen, 2008) provided the theoretical basis for the study design, data collection and data analysis for understanding the experiences on the RCU. This study found four themes: (1) uncertainty within a new intersection; (2) working together emerges from within; (3) leading within the hierarchy; and (4) everyone contributing within a team. The implications for practice, policy and research include PSWs being an integral part of the nursing team, need for more RCUs, and examining best place for RCUs.