This study aimed to elucidate nursing care for and difficulties in treating severe burn patients, as understood by nurses in an advanced critical care and emergency center. We conducted a focus group study by selecting a sample of six nurses working in a hospital advanced critical care and emergency center. The data obtained from this sample were analyzed via a text mining method and hierarchical cluster analysis from a text about nursing care and its difficulties.
The most frequent word used in this data was “patient”. Hierarchical cluster analysis results for nursing care were: “using experience to suggest dressing methods to doctors,” “anticipating abnormalities in burn locations based on changes in burn wounds and scope of pain,” “determining appropriate rehabilitation and rest levels, and discerning the need for care,” and “dealing with patients’ families considering burn location and overall condition”. The results for difficulties were: “timing when to let patients see their bodies,” “insufficient management of line securement,” “caring for families during the acute phase, when patients’ conditions may be unstable,” and “difficulty handling gauze fecal contamination”.
These findings suggest the need to accumulate research and experiential knowledge, including the recovery processes of burn patients, and nursing care and development based on burn treatment guidelines. Creating educational programs incorporating problem-solving resources, cooperation with other healthcare professionals, and other resources may be an effective strategy.
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