Evaluation of intensive care nurses’ attitudes toward the importance of care-focused nurse–patient interaction and associated factors

Intensive care units, where critically ill patients are treated, are dynamic units equipped with high technology. The quality of intensive care is greatly dependent on the effectiveness and quality of nursing care. The level of ongoing verbal and behavioral interaction between the nurse and the patient affects the quality of care of an intensive care unit. This study aimed to evaluate intensive care nurses’ self-reported perceptions regarding the importance of care-focused nurse–patient interaction during the pandemic period, along with associated factors. The research group included nurses working in the intensive care units of a university hospital on the European side of Istanbul and the intensive care units of a state hospital located in the same region, under ov-19 pandemic conditions. The study data were collected using the “Nurse Information Form” and the importance dimension and 10 subscales of the “Caring Nurse-Patient Interaction” (CNPI) Scale. Research ethics approval was obtained, and the participants provided informed consent. It was found that the nurses’ average age was 31.25 ± 6.97 and that their mean length of service in the intensive care unit was 4.87 ± 3.58 years. It was determined that 80.4% of the participants chose to work in intensive care of their own accord, and that 44.1% were able to establish team collaboration in intensive care. During COVID-19 pandemic 69.6% nurses worked 40 h or more per week. In the study, the total score for the importance dimension of the Caring Nurse-Patient Interaction Scale was found to be 274.87 ± 44.98. It was determined that not choosing to work in intensive care decreased the total importance score 29.8-point and that failure to establish team collaboration decreased the same total score 31-point. In this study conducted during the pandemic, intensive care nurses reported positive perceptions regarding the importance of care-focused nurse–patient interaction and evaluated nurse–patient interaction as an important factor in intensive care. It was concluded that, in order to strengthen care-focused nurse–patient interaction, the choice to work in intensive care should be left to nurses, duties, working hours, and authority should be clarified in accordance with ethical principles, and team collaboration should be supported under all circumstances. Not applicable.