title: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AMONG INTENSIVE CARE NURSES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurses are the main users of supplies and equipment applied in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) which are high-priced and costly. Therefore, understanding ICU nurses' experiences about resource management contributes to the better control of the costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the culture of nurses' working environment regarding the resource management in the ICUs in Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, a focused ethnographic method was used. Twenty-eight informants among ICU nurses and other professional individuals were purposively selected and interviewed. As well, 400 hours of ethnographic observations as a participant observer was used for data gathering. Data analysis was performed using the methods described by Miles and Huberman (1994).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two main themes describing the culture of ICU nurses regarding resource management included (a) consumption monitoring and auditing, and (b) prudent use. The results revealed that the efforts for resource management are conducted in the conditions of scarcity and uncertainty in supply. ICU nurses had a sense of futurism in the supply and use of resources in the unit and do the planning through taking the rules and guidelines as well as the available resources and their values into account. Improper storage of some supplies and equipment was a reaction to this uncertain condition among nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To manage the resources effectively, improvement of supply chain management in hospital seems essential. It is also necessary to hold educational classes in order to enhance the nurses' awareness on effective supply chain and storage of the items in the unit stock.
authors.affiliation: Evidence-Based Caring Research Center, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Management, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali Vafaee
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Najar
authors.affiliation: Evidence-Based Caring Research Center, Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakhshi
keywords: Culture; Ethnography; ICU; Materials Management; Nursing