Background: Providing optimal care to critically ill patients poses challenges in resource-poor settings because of the lack of equipment, inadequately trained personnel and limited infrastructure.
Objectives: This study explored challenges experienced by health care professionals working in resource-poor intensive care units.
Method: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design was used. The population comprised nurses and doctors working in an intensive care unit of one hospital in the Limpopo province of South Africa. A purposive sample was selected and 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed using Tesch's method. Ethical considerations were adhered to.
Results: Participants experienced challenges related to provision of suboptimal patient care, the challenge of non-adherence to protocols and/or instructions and the challenge of practising beyond the scope of practice.
Conclusion: Lack of resources resulted in providing suboptimal intensive patient care. Patients were prone to infections and their safety might be compromised.
Keywords: critically ill patients; health care professionals; intensive care units; resource-poor intensive care units.