Threats to Nurses' Health in Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Work in intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with different but often-neglected problems for nurses. Exploring nurses' experiences of these problems helps managers better understand them. However, there are limited qualitative data about these problems.

The aim of this study was to explore the potential threats to nurses' health in ICU.

This conventional qualitative content analysis was undertaken in September-December 2023. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 nurses and nursing managers who were purposively selected from five public, six military, and three private hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The data were analysed using Elo and Kyngas' conventional qualitative content analysis.

Sixteen interviews with 14 participants were conducted. Participants' experiences of health threats in ICUs revealed six main themes: social health threats stem from challenges in maintaining effective interpersonal relationships; mental health threats arise from psychological stressors and disorders linked to the high-pressure ICU environment; ethical-spiritual health threats emerge from morally distressing situations and spiritual conflicts; physical health threats result from the physical demands and health risks inherent in ICU work; technological health threats are associated with difficulties in adapting to and using complex medical technologies and environmental health threats are caused by unfavourable workplace conditions such as noise, lighting and physical structure.

Nurses in ICU are exposed to many different threats to their social, mental, ethical-spiritual, physical, technological and environmental health which can be considered a work-related syndrome, called 'nurse ICU syndrome (NICUS)'. These problems highlight the necessity of serious interventions by healthcare policy-makers and hospital managers.

The results of this study help hospital managers and nursing authorities determine and manage the threats to nurses' health. Educational and supportive programs are necessary for ICU nurses to improve their stress management skills, their work conditions and their welfare facilities.