The Lived Experiences of Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Although nurses are the primary clinicians in telemedicine intensive care units (tele-ICUs), their experiences remain underresearched.

To describe and interpret the lived experiences of tele-ICU nurses.

A qualitative, hermeneutical, phenomenological approach based on van Manen's methodology was used to collect and interpret interview data. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 tele-ICU nurses affiliated with a health system in the northeastern United States. The interviews were intended to elicit direct reports of specific incidents to capture the phenomenological experience. Field observations of the practice setting were conducted to enhance data richness.

The participants were primarily female, aged 34 to 67 years, with 11 to 45 years of nursing experience. The following 4 major themes and 12 subthemes were identified: (1) watching intensively and panoptically, with subthemes (a) affirming unremitting diligence, (b) uncovering virtual knowing, and (c) easing perceptions of intrusion; (2) transcending complex boundaries, with subthemes (a) building trustful collaboration, (b) discerning vigilant interventions, and (c) exercising skillful investigation; (3) transforming nursing practice, with subthemes (a) mastering tact, (b) delineating the critical wholeness, and (c) augmenting safety and quality of care; and (4) developing an e-identity, with subthemes (a) tempering feelings of working in shadows, (b) evolving to the enhanced specialist role, and (c) achieving professional gratification.

Tele-ICU nurses play a transformative role in nursing practice. These findings have implications for nursing practice, education, health policy, enhancement of the current American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) Tele-ICU Nursing Practice Model, and future research on ICU telemedicine.