Discharge from intensive care: a view from the ward

Relocation stress is a common phenomenon in patients discharged from an intensive care unit (ICU) to a ward. A variety of nursing interventions, initiated by intensive care nurses, have been introduced following research in this area. Ward nurses are ideally situated to minimize stress in this patient population, yet their contribution has not been considered. The aim of this study was to identify the experience of the ward nursing staff when receiving a patient from the ICU. An exploratory pilot study was conducted over a 6-month period. The sample group comprised nursing staff in two wards, who regularly received ICU patients. Data collection methods were triangulated and involved the use of open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Thirty-six questionnaires were sent, yielding a 36.1% (n = 13) response rate. Seven staff of various grades were interviewed. Data analysis was undertaken using Burnard's (1991) Thematic Content Analysis. Four major categories were identified in the analysis of the data. These were emotions; problems; communication; and interventions. However, the experience of ward staff receiving patients from intensive care differed according to grade.