Proactive debriefing to promote wellbeing in intensive care nurses: A protocol

Annabel Levido; Samantha Keogh; Paul Jarrett; Liz Crowe; Fiona Coyer

doi:10.1016/j.aucc.2024.01.004

Proactive debriefing to promote wellbeing in intensive care nurses: A protocol

Aust Crit Care. 2024 Mar 27:S1036-7314(24)00020-1. doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2024.01.004. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Annabel Levido¹, Samantha Keogh², Paul Jarrett³, Liz Crowe⁴, Fiona Coyer⁴

Affiliations

¹ The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Intensive Care Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: annabel.levido@hdr.qut.edu.au.
² Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia; Intensive Care Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Queensland, Australia.
³ Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia; Intensive Care Unit, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Queensland, Australia.

PMID: 38548521
DOI: 10.1016/j.aucc.2024.01.004

Abstract

Background: The dynamic, rewarding, yet challenging environment of the intensive care unit is experienced in extremes by intensive care nurses. To ensure intensive care nurses can continue to fulfil their professional roles and responsibilities, careful consideration and promotion of collective and individual wellbeing is required. Regular proactive debriefing provides an opportunity to commune, connect, and reflect on the challenging nature of clinical work and is a potential intervention to aid in the promotion of wellbeing.

Aim/objective: This study aims to collaboratively develop, implement, and evaluate a proactive debriefing intervention, which will target the promotion of nurses' wellbeing.

Study plan: This hybrid effectiveness-implementation study will use a pretest/post-test design to test a codesigned proactive debriefing intervention on the wellbeing of nurses working in a large quaternary intensive care unit. This research will be conducted in two phases. Phase one will consist of focus groups and a codesign workshop. Phase two surrounds the implementation and analysis of the codesigned intervention.

Keywords: Adult; Debriefing; Intensive care unit (ICU); Registered nurses; Wellbeing.