NURSING STAFFS PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF PRIMARY NURSING PRACTICE IN INTENSIVE-CARE 4 YEARS ON

This study explores the perceptions of staff who have been practising primary nursing for more than 4 years in intensive care. It considers what primary nursing is, what its benefits, disadvantages, and role im pact are and other issues within an intensive care setting from the st aff's perceptions and experiences. Although many of the perceived adva ntages and disadvantages are similar to experiences from other areas o f nursing, there are some differences. The differences seem to relate to the way primary nursing is practised within the research setting - each primary nurse works with the same small team of associates, which is perceived as providing added benefits in terms of personal support and development of junior staff. The changes in role are seen to refl ect other models in the literature which focus on becoming more patien t centred and on working therapeutically. A number of future issues ar e addressed.