Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 3 , Pages 120-127, June 2009

Quality of practice in an intensive care unit (ICU): A mini-ethnographic case study

  • Anette Storesund

      Affiliations

    • Haukeland University Hospital, Surgery Department, Postoperative Section, 5021 Bergen, Norway
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +47 99 73 52 74; fax: +47 55 97 24 68.
    • ,
  • Anne McMurray

      Affiliations

    • Murdoch University, Education Drive, Mandurah, Western Australia 6210, Australia

Accepted 4 February 2009.

Summary 

Background

Nurses’ perspectives of maintaining quality practice is important in the context of today's safety and quality agenda. This study provides a snapshot of registered nurses’ perspectives on practice quality in one Australian ICU.

Methods

A mini-ethnographic case study examined how quality is embedded in the culture of ICU nursing. Semi-structured interviews of 10 informants were analysed using Spradley's (Spradley JP. The ethnographic interview. Sydney: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc.;1979) ethnographic guidelines.

Findings

Three major themes influenced nursing quality: maintaining cohesiveness in a complex and stressful environment; rapid, effective and respectful communication; and specialist knowledge gained through experience and formal learning.

Conclusion

The nurses reported satisfaction with the quality of their ICU practice, but revealed factors that could diminish quality and contribute to job dissatisfaction. Given current recruitment and retention issues and the link between satisfaction and retention, it is important to consider this these factors in advancing the knowledge base for workforce planning.

Keywords: Intensive care, Quality, Workforce, Ethnography, Clinical practice

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PII: S0964-3397(09)00004-4

doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2009.02.001

Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 3 , Pages 120-127, June 2009

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