Nurses Experiences Caring for Critically Ill Children Receiving Non-Invasive Ventilation in Intensive Care Units – A Qualitative Study
Tone Magnussen, Outi Koistinen, Anna Apfelstedt, Monica Evelyn Kvande, Brith AndresenIntroduction
Acute respiratory distress is a common cause for admission of children to intensive care units, often caused by infections. Non-invasive ventilation is used in the treatment of critically ill children with respiratory failure and is a preferred treatment strategy. Objective: We aimed to explore nurses’ experiences of non-invasive ventilation in critically ill children in intensive care units.
Methods
A qualitative study with an exploratory design was conducted. Data were collected through 13 semi-structured interviews in five intensive care units in five hospitals in Norway. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and reported according to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. This study was approved by the Norwegian Agency for Shared Services in Education and Research (SIKT) in 2023 (approval no. 826313) prior to data collection and by the hospital’s Data protection officers of five different hospitals. All participants provided informed consent.
Results
Three themes emerged: 1) Balance between interaction and treatment; 2) Teamwork makes a difference; and 3) From disturbance to resource – collaboration with parents. Nurses experienced that these aspects helped them to create safety and trust with children and parents, which benefited non-invasive ventilation.
Conclusion
Early trust, clear communication and coherent collaboration were highlighted as essential for the success of non-invasive ventilation. Lack of time and uncertainty about equipment for non-invasive treatment could have a negative impact. The nurses’ years of experience made a difference. This study underscored a need for improvement in both communicative and technical skills and strengthen a coherent interprofessional collaboration.