Intensive Care Nurses' Opinions on Bariatric Surgery Patients: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

This study was conducted with a descriptive qualitative design to reveal the opinions and experiences of intensive care nurses who care for bariatric surgery patients. The study was conducted with 11 nurses working in hospitals' general surgery intensive care units caring for bariatric surgery patients. The data were collected using the interview method, which is one of the qualitative data collection methods. In the study, intensive care nurses expressed both positive and negative perspectives on bariatric surgery. They also reported challenges in patient care, particularly related to high-weight patients, in-pain patients, and fearful patients. Additionally, hospital-related difficulties, such as lack of staff and lack of equipment, were highlighted as key barriers to providing care. However, nurses identified facilitating factors, including patient characteristics and procedural aspects which contributed to more manageable care experiences. The findings of this study illuminate the diverse views and experiences of intensive care nurses caring for bariatric surgery patients.