Nurses’ perceptions of the sustainability of a standardised assessment for preventing complications in a ICU: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Quality improvement projects have been widely adopted to prevent complications in the ICU.

Objective: This paper describes nurses’ perceptions of implementation strategies and the potential sustainability of a practice change intervention to prevent complications in a Malaysian ICU.

Design: A participatory action research using five focus group discussions were undertaken with 19 nurses in a single ICU in regional Malaysia. Focus group transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: The main themes derived from the interviews were: [1] Empowering staff to embrace evidence-based practices; [2] Staff knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that impact on behaviour; and [3] management support and leadership are influential in staff behaviours (acceptance & perseverance of change process).

Discussion: Resistance to change was recognized as a barrier to adopting evidence based recommendations. There is a need to improve nurses’ knowledge, attitude and awareness of the importance of assessment for VAP, CRBSI and PIs in the ICU.

Keywords:

• Malaysia
• clinical practice improvement
• intensive care unit
• qualitative study

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Director General of Health Malaysia, Ministry of Health, the ICU head department, intensivists and ward managers for their continuous support to the study. We are grateful to all nurses for their support and feedback given in the study. Nurses’ perceptions of the sustainability of a standardised assessment for preventing complications in a ICU: a qualitative study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.