Objective: To elucidate the difficulty encountered by inexperienced intensive care unit( ICU) nurses during nursingpractice.Study design: Qualitative descriptive study.Methods: Group interviews were conducted on nurses with no more than three years of ICU nursing experienceand nurses with no less than seven years of ICU nursing experience at a hospital in Chiba Prefecture. The accountsof nurses with no more than three years of ICU nursing experience regarding situations in which they encountereddifficulty during nursing practice were analyzed in a qualitative, inductive manner.Results: A total of 14 categories of difficulty encountered by inexperienced nurses during nursing practice wereidentified, including the following“: performing nursing care based on an understanding of the pathological conditionsof patients under their care"“, recognizing patients' current conditions from multiple perspectives"“, selecting andimplementing care methods that minimize burden for patients with poor circulation"“, responding to sudden changesin patients' conditions", and“ accurately and at an appropriate time informing others of patients' conditions".Discussion: The characteristics of difficulty encountered by inexperienced ICU nurses included understanding thecomplex and unique pathological conditions of patients, recognizing the patients' current conditions from multipleperspectives by collecting and integrating the necessary information, selecting appropriate care methods based on thepatients' current conditions, reliably utilizing skills for stabilizing patients' conditions, recognizing and responding toemergencies, and informing others of patients' conditions.

source:Journal of Chiba Academy of Nursing Science