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Exploring the meaning of critical incident stress experienced by intensive care unit nurses
Author(s) -
Harvey Giuliana,
Tapp Dianne M.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
nursing inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.66
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1800
pISSN - 1320-7881
DOI - 10.1111/nin.12365
Subject(s) - critical incident technique , intensive care unit , nursing , transformative learning , intensive care , incident report , critical care nursing , burnout , psychology , perception , psychological intervention , meaning (existential) , qualitative research , health care , medicine , clinical psychology , psychotherapist , sociology , psychiatry , developmental psychology , social science , forensic engineering , marketing , neuroscience , intensive care medicine , economics , engineering , business , economic growth
The complexity of registered nurses’ work in the intensive care unit places them at risk of experiencing critical incident stress. Gadamer's philosophical hermeneutics (1960/2013) was used to expand the meanings of work‐related critical incident stress for registered nurses working with adults in the intensive care unit. Nine intensive care unit registered nurses participated in unstructured interviews. The interpretations emphasized that morally distressing experiences may lead to critical incident stress. Critical incident stress was influenced by the perception of judgment from co‐workers and the organizational culture. Nurses in this study attempted to cope with critical incident stress by functioning in ‘autopilot’, temporarily altering their ability to critically think and to conceal emotions. Participants emphasized the importance of timely crisis interventions tailored to support their needs. This study highlighted that critical incident stress was transformative in how intensive care unit nurses practiced, potentially altering their professional self‐identity. Work‐related critical incident stress has implications for nurses, the discipline, and the health care system.