A systematic review of the experiences of nurses in caring for critically ill adult patients with physiological deterioration in a general ward setting

Abstract

Review Objective/Questions(s) The objective of this review is to examine the current state of knowledge on the experiences of nurses in caring for critically ill patients with physiological deterioration in a general ward setting. The specific questions to be addressed are: 1) What are the experiences of registered nurses in recognising adult patients with physiological deterioration in a general ward setting? 2) What are the experiences of registered nurses in responding to adult patients with physiological deterioration in a general ward setting? Types of Participants: The inclusion criteria for participants will be registered nurses working in an adult general ward. Enrolled nurses, healthcare assistants and student nurses will be excluded. In addition, studies that involve registered nurses working in specialized units such as the intensive care units, emergency department, operating theatres and pediatric and neonatal units will also be excluded. Types of interventions/phenomena of interest: This review will consider studies that focus on nurses’ experiences in caring for critically ill patients’ physiological deterioration. More specifically, before the arrival of appropriate medical help (doctors or other healthcare teams). To be excluded will be studies that describe nurses’ experiences in working with doctors or within a healthcare team after their arrival to the ward. Furthermore, physiological deterioration in children or other forms of deterioration such as psychological deterioration will be excluded from this review. Types of outcomes/types of data: Outcomes of interest will include experiences of nurses, both positive and negative, as expressed by these nurses.