J Korean Acad Nurs.  2019 Aug;49(4):423-436. 10.4040/jkan.2019.49.4.423.

Person-Centered Relational Care Experienced by Critical Care Nurses: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study

• Jang MS
• Kim S

• KMID: 2456146
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2019.49.4.423

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aim of the study was to explore nurses' experience of person-centered relational care in the context of critical care.
METHODS
Key interview questions were developed based on the human-to-human relationship model suggested by Travelbee. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of 11 nurses having more than 2 years of working experience in intensive care units. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to analyze the data.
RESULTS
Four super-ordinate and nine sub-ordinate themes were identified. Emerged super-ordinate themes were as follows: (1) encountering a live person via patient monitoring systems; (2) deep empathic connection; (3) humanistic and compassionate care, and (4) accompanying the journey to the end. Study findings revealed that nurses in intensive care units experienced "˜balancing emotions' and "˜authenticity' in caring when entering human-to-human relationships with dying patients. The phenomenon of person-centered relational care in intensive care units was found to subsume intrinsic attributes of empathy, compassion, and trust, similar to the central concepts of Travelbee's theory.
CONCLUSION
The interpretative findings in this study provide deeper understanding of Travelbee's human-to-human relationship model. The technological environment in intensive care units did not hinder experienced nurses from forming human-to-human relationships. These themes need to be emphasized in critical care nursing education as well as in nursing management. The results of this study will contribute to understanding nurse-patient caring relationships in depth, and help improve the quality of nursing care in intensive care units.

Keyword

Critical Care; Empathy; Intensive Care Units; Nurse-Patient Relations; Qualitative Research

MeSH Terms

Critical Care Nursing
Critical Care*
Education
Empathy
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Monitoring, Physiologic
Nurse-Patient Relations
Nursing
Nursing Care
Qualitative Research

Figure

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  Figure 1. Data analysis procedure based on Interpretative phenomenological analysis.

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  Figure 2. Study findings of person-centered relational care experienced by intensive care unit nurses.

Reference

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