Exploring the relationship between nursing protocols and nursing practice in an Irish intensive care unit

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Policy
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Modern nursing practice is increasingly evidence-based, moving away from tradition.
• Standardization efforts have led to policies, protocols, and guidelines for nursing care.
• Understanding the alignment between these documents and actual practice is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between clinical practice documents and nurses' actual practice.
• To examine nurses' experiences with a specific protocol in an intensive care setting.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive study utilizing a case study approach.
• Focus group interviews conducted with 17 nurses across six groups.
• Exploration of nurses' experiences with an endotracheal tube suctioning protocol.

Main Results:

• Nurses actively adapt clinical protocols to suit their professional judgment.
• Findings underscore the significance nurses place on their autonomy in practice.
• Identified a gap between standardized protocols and individualized patient care.

Conclusions:

• Clinical protocols are not always followed rigidly; adaptation is common.
• Professional judgment and autonomy are key factors influencing protocol implementation.
• Further research is needed to bridge the gap between policy and practice.