A Study on the Caring Experience of ICU Nurses: Focusing on the Narrative of Life-and-Death Viewpoints

• Main Authors: Chia-li Liao, 廖家梨
• Other Authors: Chiang-hsiung Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/35422121276474945001

碩士 === 南華大學 === 生死學系 === 100 === 　　The aim of the research was to explore ICU nursing staff’s nursing experience. Data were generated from in-depth interviews with five participants and clinical field observations. The process of data analysis was guided by hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand nursing staff’s situations, death anxiety, and perceptions of life and death. 　 　　The research found that nursing experience has a profound influence on ICU nursing staff’s perceptions of life and death. They commonly perceive life and death as suffering, passing away, uncertain, helpless, impermanent, and an inhuman process. As the suffering is aggravated, ICU nursing staff generally wishes to make preparation for a “good death” while facing their own mortality. This perspective is also shown in nursing experience. In regard to dying patients’ pain and suffering, nursing staff hopes to relieve their pain and facilitate dying with dignity. For ICU nursing staff, it can comfort and heal theirs souls when patients’ pain is well managed. 　 　　Through experience with end-of-life (EOL) care, ICU nursing staff adopts a variety of coping strategies to adapt to stress in clinical workplace. Mostly, they transform their own conceptions, seek their inner force, identify personal work values and find motivation in the rush and bustle of daily working life. Nursing care after having introspection on EOL care experience tends to provide an essential human care, respect and company. 　 　　It is also found that ICU nursing staff’s experience not only can provide relevant medical superintendents with practice examples in supporting ICU nursing staff, but can be reference for follow-up studies.