The nature of caring by nurses in an intensive care unit (ICU): A focused ethnography

As a concept, caring is inextricably intertwined with nursing. There is a plethora of literature devoted to the concept of caring, but it is nebulous and complex. Numerous theoretical and operational perspectives of caring within the context of nursing have emerged over time. The ongoing dialogue and debate about what constitutes caring within the ever-expanding domains of nursing practice are nowhere more evident than in the specialisation of the adult intensive care unit (ICU), where humanistic caring is juxtaposed with advanced technology. The aim of this study was to explore the nature of caring in an adult ICU. The methodological framework underpinning this study was a focused ethnography undertaken in an adult intensive care setting in one of the private hospitals in Queensland, Australia. Purposive sampling was used to invite 35 registered nurses (RNs) to participate in this study. Multiple types of data were collected over a six-month period: socio-demographics, participant observations (1,632 hours), field notes, document reviews, formal interviews (n = 79), informal conversations (n = 16) and participants’ additional notes (n = 26).