A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Double-Duty Nurse Caregivers.
Carolyn S Phillips, Galilea Dupree, Jung Kwak and 1 others
PMID 40530592WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses who also care for family members described being unable to stop 'being a nurse,' leading to burnout and financial strain.
They valued the insider knowledge for advocacy but needed peer support groups and flexible workplaces to manage the dual role.
Key findings
01Participants described an inability to switch off from caregiving responsibilities, feeling like they are nurses 24/7 both at work and at home.
02Balancing the roles led to financial losses, reduced income, and missed career advancement opportunities, with some participants turning down promotions to maintain flexibility.
03While the dual role caused strain, participants reported enhanced empathy for patients and better ability to advocate for family members due to their professional knowledge.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (n=16) and homogeneous (mostly white, female, outpatient nurses), limiting transferability to other nursing populations. The study is exploratory and qualitative, so it describes experiences but cannot measure the magnitude of financial loss or burnout compared to non-double-duty nurses. Eight of the initial 24 interviews were excluded as fraudulent, which may introduce bias if the fraud protocol was not perfectly effective. The quantitative results from the same study cohort were not yet published or included in this analysis.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was supported by the University of Texas at Austin HornRaiser and Sigma Theta Tau International/Hospice and Palliative Nurses Foundation Research Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that double-duty caregiving improves patient outcomes or clinical skills. The 'better nurse' theme reflects participants' self-perception of enhanced empathy and advocacy, not a measured improvement in patient care quality or safety.