Trauma nursing care considered important in intensive care units as perceived by expert nurses: A qualitative descriptive study

Abstract

Objective: To clarify trauma nursing care considered important in intensive care units as perceived by expert nurses.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine expert nurses in the emergency and intensive care fields. The interviews consisted of trauma nursing care emphasized in intensive care units, and the data were analyzed using qualitative research methods.

Results: The following eight categories were generated: “Clinical judgment to avoid sudden changes and stabilize the condition,” “Trade-off between position management and early mobilization according to injury site and severity,” “Involvement in daily life to maintain and improve residual functions,” “Psychological care as captured by patient/family reactions to shock,” and “Multidisciplinary collaboration to predict patient outcomes”.

Conclusion: This study suggests that expert nurses prioritized direct patient care and multidisciplinary collaboration in intensive care units.