A phenomenological exploration of clinical decision making of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses in relation to sedation management

....................................................................................................... iv List of Tables and Figures......................................................................... xvi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background to this study .................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 The researcher’s personal and professional interests ................................... 1 1.1.3 The current research evidence and ICU practices ....................................... 1 1.2 Deficits in knowledge and awareness in this field ............................................. 5 1.3 What this study adds to the available sedation research..................................... 6 Chapter 2: Review of the literature .............................................................. 6 2.0 The nature of intensive care .................................................................. 9 2.1 Overview of chapter ........................................................................................... 9 2.2 When ‘care’ became intensive............................................................................ 9 2.3 Nursing ‘care’ ................................................................................................... 10 2.4 Nursing knowledge ........................................................................................... 11 2.4.1 Patterns of knowing ................................................................................... 11 2.5 Research based evidence as knowledge ........................................................... 15 2.6 Summary of chapter ......................................................................................... 15 Chapter 3: Technology and the Intensive Care Unit ................................ 17 3.1 Overview of chapter ......................................................................................... 17 3.2 Technology ....................................................................................................... 17 3.3 Technology in ICU ........................................................................................... 19 3.4 The purpose of technology in ICU ................................................................... 19 3.4.1 Technology as an alert ............................................................................... 20 3.4.1.2 Alarms .................................................................................................. 22 3.4.2 Technology as a decision making aid ........................................................ 25 3.4.2.1 Technology and competence ................................................................ 26 3.5 Nursing and technology .................................................................................... 27