Rethinking the intensive care environment: considering nature in nursing practice

Area of Science:

• Environmental health
• Nursing science
• Patient outcomes

Background:

• The hospital environment, particularly intensive care units (ICUs), can negatively affect patient well-being.
• While ICUs provide critical care, their environments pose risks, especially for long-term patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the detrimental effects of the ICU environment on patient outcomes.
• To investigate the benefits of nature-based nursing interventions in ICUs.

Main Methods:

• This paper is a narrative review of theoretical and evidence-based literature.
• Literature from nursing, medicine, psychology, architecture, and environmental science was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Nature-based interventions can counteract environmental stressors in ICUs.
• These interventions can improve the environment for patients, families, and healthcare providers.

Conclusions:

• Intensive care unit nurses can implement nature-based interventions to mitigate negative environmental impacts.
• Proactive management of the ICU environment is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes.