Experiences of Nurses Working in a Single-Room-Structured Intensive Care Unit / 중환자간호학회지

ABSTRACT

Purpose@# This study aims to provide basic data for effective nursing interventions and improvement of nurses’ work by exploring their work experiences in single-room-structured intensive care units (ICU) through focus group interviews. @*Methods@# Data were collected through two focus group discussions conducted from March to November 2020 with 13 ICU nurses. Interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed thematically by investigators. @*Results@# Through content analysis, 15 sub-categories and 6 categories were formed. Two themes, “positive experiences patients care in an independent space” and “difficulties in nursing work according to space separation of patients” emerged. There are positive aspects of single-room-structured ICUs, but it was found that practicing nurses had difficulties and required specialized nursing competencies. Therefore, efforts to reduce the burden of nurses in single-room-structured ICUs are necessary. @*Conclusion@# The limitation of this study is that it was conducted in a single hospital because single-room-structured intensive care units are uncommon in Korea. However, this study is of great significance as a basis for establishing guidelines on the efforts required from nurses, hospitals, and governments single-room-structured ICUs in the future.