[Concept analysis of relocation stress: focusing on patients transferred from intensive care unit to general ward].
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to analyze and clarify the meaning of the concept for relocation stress -focusing on patients transferred from an intensive care unit to a general ward.


METHODS
This study used Walker and Avant's process of concept analysis.


RESULTS
Relocation stress can be defined by these attributes as follows: 1) involuntary decision about relocation, 2) moving from a familiar and safe environment to an unfamiliar one, 3) broken relationship of safety and familiarity, 4) physiological and psychosocial change after relocation. The antecedents of relocation stress consisted of these facts: 1) preparation degrees of transfer from the intensive care unit to a general ward, 2) pertinence of the information related to the transfer process, 3) change of major caregivers, 4) change in numbers of monitoring devices, 5) change in the level of self-care. There are consequences occurring as a result of relocation stress: 1) decrease in patients' quality of life, 2) decrease in coping capacity, 3) loss of control.


CONCLUSIONS
Relocation stress is a core concept in intensive nursing care. Using this concept will contribute to continuity of intensive nursing care.
Son
Youn Jung
YJ
Department of Nursing, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan, Korea.
Hong
Sung Kyung
SK
Jun
Eun Young
EY
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers; D003210:Concept Formation; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D010360:Patient Transfer; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D013315:Stress, Psychological