NURSES AND PHYSICIANS EVALUATE THEIR INTENSIVE-CARE EXPERIENCES

OBJECTIVE: Analysis of the evaluation of intensive care experiences of nurses and physicians in relation to their educational background and degree of professionalization. DESIGN: Cross-cultural, qualitative st udy design: German nurses and physicians and American nurses. SETTING: German medical intensive care unit (nine beds), German surgical inten sive care unit (six beds), and an American medical-surgical intensive care unit (16 beds). SUBJECTS: Thirteen German nurses (eight women, fi ve men) of a medical intensive care unit, six German nurses (five wome n, one man) of a surgical intensive care unit, nine German physicians of a medical intensive care unit (two women, seven men), and 13 Americ an nurses of a medical-surgical intensive care unit (10 women, three m en). METHODS: The interviewing technique by the method of Role Reperto ry Grid Test by G.A. Kelly. We focused on important job experiences in intensive care and the remembered evaluation of these experiences. RE SULTS: The reported experiences of intensive care unit nurses and phys icians show negative as well as positive appraisals. No correlation ca n be shown between negative appraisals and the degree of professionali zation or training of German nurses and physicians, and American nurse s, respectively. The qualitative-content analysis of positively apprai sed experiences does indicate, for all four studied groups, that even primarily so-called ''positive'' experiences are closely connected wit h negative aspects and connotations. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that nurses and physicians experience intensive care work with extrem e ambivalence. To be content with and successful on the job it appears necessary to develop a high level of ambivalence. From a methodologic point of view, the advantages of the interviewing technique (Role Rep ertory Grid) are discussed.