Nursing perspectives from an Italian ICU

Area of Science:

• Critical care medicine
• Infectious diseases
• Nursing

Background:

• The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak began in Northern Italy in February 2020.
• Initial resource limitations challenged the capacity to manage critically ill patients requiring respiratory support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To share experiences of intensive care unit (ICU) care for COVID-19 patients in Italy.
• To assist the international critical care nursing community in managing the pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective account of clinical experiences.
• Focus on patient care in an Italian ICU setting during the early pandemic.

Main Results:

• Insufficient resources were a significant challenge.
• Critical care nursing was essential in managing respiratory support for COVID-19 patients.

Conclusions:

• Sharing experiences is vital for international preparedness.
• Critical care nurses play a crucial role in pandemic response.