Nursing care factors influencing patients' outcomes in the intensive care unit: Findings from a rapid review

Abstract

Aims: To examine the nursing care factors investigated regarding their influence on outcomes of critically ill patients.

Background: A large number of studies have considered patients' outcomes as sensitive to nursing practice in intensive care unit environments. However, no summary of nursing factors influencing these outcomes has been provided.

Design: Rapid review, following the seven-stage process outlined by Tricco and colleagues.

Data sources: Articles published up to March 2020 were identified in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus databases.

Review methods: Eligibility of studies was first assessed at the title and abstracts level. Study inclusion was then established by two researchers by analysing the full texts.

Results: A total of 93 studies were included, with a total of 21 nursing care factors documented. At the structural level, nursing factors have been investigated at the organizational and at the personnel level. At the process level, nurse-led programmes, independent nursing interventions and nurse behaviours have been investigated to date.

Conclusion: The set of nursing factors that emerged can be used in future research to improve poorly developed areas and to accumulate further evidence through additional studies, both at managerial and practice levels.

Keywords: adult patient; intensive care unit; nursing interventions; nursing-sensitive outcomes.