Situation awareness in intensive care unit nurses: A qualitative directed content analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Cognitive Psychology
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Situation awareness (SA) is crucial for patient safety in rapidly changing ICU environments.
• Understanding nurses' SA perception is vital for improving care outcomes.
• Endsley's SA model provides a framework for analyzing nurses' experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and explain the perception and experience of situation awareness (SA) in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.
• To apply Endsley's SA model to understand SA in the ICU nursing context.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative directed content analysis.
• Semi-structured interviews and field observations with 27 ICU nurses in Tehran, Iran.
• Data analysis using the Elo and Kyngas method (modified by Assarroudi et al.).

Main Results:

• SA in ICU nurses encompasses perception of clinical, human, physical, and organizational environments.
• Key components include comprehending the current situation (salience, interpretation) and projecting future situations (prediction, foresight).

Conclusions:

• The study refined the concept of SA in ICU nurses, aligning with Endsley's model.
• Findings offer valuable insights for enhancing SA in nursing practice, education, and future research.