Difficulties and facilities in intensive care work: a nursing staff's perspective

Abstract

Objective: to recognize the facilities and difficulties met in the everyday work routine of the nursing staff of an adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Method: exploratory-descriptive study of qualitative approach. The data was collected with 11 nursing workers of an adult ICU of a university hospital, between June and July, 2012, through semi-structured interview. The findings were analyzed based on content analysis. Results: several factors interfere in the development of the work, among them, facilities are: the use of technology and the small and restricted environment. Obstacles faced by the subjects were: personal conflicts, lack of commitment among colleagues and lack of human resources and of materials. Conclusion: despite the difficulties found during the development of ICU work, this activity is still seen as something rewarding by the nursing workers.