A Reflection on the Skills Shortage in Intensive Care Units in South African Public Hospitals

Abstract

Intensive care units (ICUs) are specialist units where critically ill patients are cared for, staffed by a specialist health workforce. With the nursing profession currently undergoing major changes, both in practice and nursing education, there are several factors that are affecting the nursing workforce globally. As a result of natural attrition, nurses are leaving the profession which has resulted in an absolute critical skills scarcity. This article highlights some issues related to the nursing workforce in ICUs. The ICU nurses may be dealing with too much work, while experiencing low recognition of the value of their work. This may happen as nurses are all on the same level of training and they do a similar type of work. However, when the pressures of the ICU environment surpass their ability to cope, the individual nurses end up showing signs of burnout. The question is whether those working in ICUs will remain there forever, and for those nurses who hear the adverse stories about ICUs, whether they will be interested in working in ICUs.