J Korean Acad Adult Nurs.  2002 Jun;14(2):296-305.

Characteristics of Nursing Performance based on the Expertise among ICU Nurses

• Yi MS
• Oh SE
• Eom MR
• Kim HS
• Cho KJ
• Choi JS
• Lee KS

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to describe how nurses in intensive care units (ICU) work. METHOD: A total of 18 ICU nurses participated in the research. The data was collected through individual in-depth interviews and analyzed by grounded theory method using NUDIST 4.0 software program.
RESULTS
Three different patterns regarding nursing performance among ICU nurses were identified. These are 1) nursing performance of nurses who perform excellently, 2) nursing performance of nurses who do not perform well because of their lack of experience, and 3) nursing performance of nurses who do not perform well in spite of their good years of experience. These three different nursing performances were described in terms of seven different categories; 1) assessing and monitoring nursing problems, 2) clinical decision making, 3) interpersonal relationships, 4) holistic care, 5) technical skills, 6) problem solving, 7) working independently and creatively. This study also identified two intervening factors that influenced the advancement of their expertise.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study might help nurse managers in developing continuing educational programs for inexperienced nurses or those nurses not performing well to become experts by a deeper understanding of the nature of nursing performance and the factors that influence nursing performance in ICU settings.

Keyword

Clinical Competence; Intensive Care Units; Clinical Nursing Practice Research

MeSH Terms

Clinical Competence
Decision Making
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Nurse Administrators
Nursing*
Problem Solving