title: Intensive care units in Turkish hospitals: do they meet the minimum standards?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  International and national standards for ICUs have been developed to ensure patient safety and provide effective and efficient service in these units. However, global economic crises along with shortages in professional health care staff affect the ability of ICUs to meet and maintain these standards.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the equipment and workforce in intensive care units (ICUs) in Turkish hospitals meet current ICU standards.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive study based on the results of a survey questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 145 ICUs in university and private hospitals in Turkey participated in this survey. Data collection was done by means of a survey questionnaire that assessed the current equipment and workforce in these ICUs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 97·0% of the occupied beds in the ICUs had a cardiac monitor. Crash-carts were present in every ICU. Transport monitors and transport ventilators were available in two of three and in one of two ICUs, respectively. In 82·8% of the ICUs, a physician (as a trainee level) was present at all times, while only a few ICUs had ICU-care team members such as respiratory- and physiotherapist, clinical pharmacists and dieticians available. There was a general shortage of nursing staff in ICUs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, ICUs in Turkish hospitals meet the majority of standards for ICU equipment, but they fail to meet both the international and national standards for ICU workforce requirement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hospital and ICU managers could use our findings to compare their facilities with others or to identify areas in need of improvement.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Emine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Türkmen
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Selvet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sevinç
authors.affiliation: Koc University School of Nursing, Semahat Arsel Nursing Education and Research Center (SANERC), Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Marziye
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: İlhan
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000592:standards; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians / Q000600:supply & distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
keywords: Critical care unit standards; Equipment; Intensive care unit; Nursing staff; Turkey; Workforce