Wellbeing as perceived and experienced by intensive care unit nurses: An interpretive qualitative analysis

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Workforce
• Occupational Wellbeing

Background:

• A critical shortage exists in the intensive care unit (ICU) nursing workforce.
• ICU nurses deliver specialized care to an increasing patient population.
• Workplace wellbeing initiatives are essential for nurse recruitment, retention, and satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate intensive care nurses' perspectives on their wellbeing within their professional roles.
• To gain an in-depth understanding of ICU nurse wellbeing to inform future interventions and research.

Main Methods:

• An inductive, interpretive qualitative research design was employed.
• Semistructured focus groups were conducted with ICU nurses in a large Australian metropolitan hospital.
• Data were analyzed thematically following verbatim transcription of audio recordings.

Main Results:

• Thirty-one critical care nurses participated across five focus groups.
• Four key themes emerged: intergenerational wellbeing, the evolution of wellbeing, the illusion of balance, and meaning and purpose.
• These themes offer a nuanced view of wellbeing from the ICU nurse's perspective.

Conclusions:

• This study provides critical insights into ICU nurses' perceptions of wellbeing.
• The identified themes are vital for developing targeted interventions to support the intensive care nursing workforce.
• Enhancing wellbeing is proposed as a strategy to improve workforce longevity and address the nursing crisis.