title: Nursing care in a high-technological environment: Experiences of critical care nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Management of technical equipment, such as ventilators, infusion pumps, monitors and dialysis, makes health care in an intensive care setting more complex. Technology can be defined as items, machinery and equipment that are connected to knowledge and management to maximise efficiency. Technology is not only the equipment itself, but also the knowledge of how to use it and the ability to convert it into nursing care. The aim of this study is to describe critical care nurses' experience of performing nursing care in a high technology healthcare environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative, personal interviews were conducted during 2012 with eight critical care nurses in the northern part of Sweden. Interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three themes with six categories emerged. The technology was described as a security that could facilitate nursing care, but also one that could sometimes present obstacles. The importance of using the clinical gaze was highlighted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nursing care in a high technological environment must be seen as multi-faceted when it comes to how it affects CCNs' experience. The advanced care conducted in an ICU could not function without high-tech equipment, nor could care operate without skilled interpersonal interaction and maintenance of basal nursing. That technology is seen as a major tool and simultaneously as a barrier to patient-centred care.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Sunderby Hospital, Luleå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tunlind
authors.affiliation: Thoracal Intensive Care Unit, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Granström
authors.affiliation: Division of Nursing, Department of Health Science, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden. Electronic address: asa.engstrom@ltu.se.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Engström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013548:Sweden; D017132:Workplace
keywords: High technology environment; Intensive care; Nursing; Qualitative design; Technology