title: Delivering best care and maintaining emotional wellbeing in the intensive care unit: the perspective of experienced nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored the perspective of experienced intensive care nurses regarding maintenance of their emotional wellbeing.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Caring for critically ill patients has been identified as stressful. The demand for critical care nurses continues to grow in a climate of an ongoing nursing shortage and an aging workforce. This study sought to understand what environmental elements optimized the maintenance of emotional wellbeing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grounded theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen experienced intensive care unit registered nurses from a metropolitan hospital in Western Australia, were interviewed. Five categories were identified: 'achieving best care', 'caring for the patient's family', 'autonomy within the ICU environment', 'teamwork', and 'previous nursing and life experience'.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this study increase our understanding of the environmental elements that can optimize the emotional wellbeing of intensive care nurses. These findings will assist in the development of strategies to retain nurses in the ICU area.
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: joanne.siffleet@health.wa.gov.au.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siffleet
authors.affiliation: Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia; Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rapley
authors.affiliation: Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia; Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slatyer
mesh_terms: D064648:Critical Care Nursing; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004644:Emotions; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Achieving best care; Critical care nurses; Emotional wellbeing; Work satisfaction