Sustainability in critical care practice: A grounded theory study

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Health Services Research
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• High-quality critical care is challenged by limited financial, environmental, and social resources.
• The National Health Service aims for sustainability, but research on critical care perspectives is scarce.
• A theoretical framework explaining social processes influencing critical care sustainability is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain the concept of sustainability from the perspective of critical care practitioners.
• To identify social processes that enable sustainability in critical care settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using Charmazian constructivist grounded theory.
• In-depth interviews with 11 critical care professionals.
• Data analysis using constant comparison, dimensional analysis, and Straussian grounded theory techniques.

Main Results:

• Sustainability defined as maintaining financial, environmental, and social resources across critical care systems.
• Key social process identified as "satisficing": achieving quality care within resource constraints.
• Satisficing enables practitioners to feel responsible and promote flourishing practice, guided by cognitive, environmental, and ethical factors.

Conclusions:

• Presents a theoretical framework for understanding sustainability in critical care.
• Highlights "satisficing" as a crucial social process for resource management.
• Offers implications for maintaining financial, environmental, and social resources in critical care practice.