A study into the views of intensive care nurses on the psychological needs of their patients

This small scale study examined the way in which ICU nurses perceived the psychological needs of their patients. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured interviews, and was then analysed using a modified grounded theory approach. Two overall themes were developed from the data, one being the way in which ICU nurses make choices about the organisation of their work and the other nurse-project relationship. Secondly the theme of the nurse-patient relationship was developed, in which ICU nurses experience difficulty in communicating with their patients. Paradoxically it would appear that the quality of this communication becomes poorer when the patient is more able to participate in the communication process. This problem in communication is substantiated by research into other areas of nurse-patient communication.