Exploring Nurse-Perceived Challenges and Rewards of Caring for Long-Term Ventilated Patients in an Intensive Care Unit

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  • February 26, 2019
Creator
  • Barnes, Morgan
    • Affiliation: School of Nursing
Abstract
  • Progress in modern medicine has enabled critically ill patients, such as those in acute respiratory distress, a chance to survive through mechanical ventilation. There is a growing population of patients who receive mechanical ventilation for extended periods of time – at least 21 days for at least six hours per day. While there is literature examining patient perception of ventilation in the critical care unit, there is a gap in the literature regarding the nurse experience of caring for this population in critical care units. The purpose of this descriptive, pilot study was to explore the nurse-perceived challenges and rewards of caring for long-term ventilated patients in a critical care unit and to identify strategies for addressing challenges in the context of a job satisfaction framework. Three nurses from a regional hospital critical care unit participated in semistructured interviews to yield detailed accounts of their experiences. Challenges identified stemmed from patient attributes and caregiving, with a major theme of trust. Strategies for addressing challenges uncovered team approaches that emphasized the importance of collaboration and personal strategies related to introspection. Overcoming challenges was seen as a reward, along with praise and recognition. Recognizing challenges, finding ways to control challenges, and enhancing reward leads to job satisfaction. Therefore, awareness of these aspects has the potential to promote job satisfaction, energy, and connectedness.
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Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Fleming, Louise
Degree
  • Bachelor of Science
Academic concentration
  • Nursing
Honors level
  • Honors
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Graduation year
  • 2018
Language
  • English

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