Transitions and empowerment theory: A framework for nursing interventions during intensive care unit patient transition.

OBJECTIVES: 1) To explore the main characteristics of intensive care unit transition according to patients' lived experience and 2) To identify nursing therapeutics to facilitate patients' transition from the intensive care unit to the inpatient unit.

METHODOLOGY: Secondary Analysis (SA) of the findings of a descriptive qualitative study on the experience of patients admitted to an ICU during the transition to the inpatient unit, based on the Nursing Transitions Theory. Data for the primary study were generated from 48 semi-structured interviews of patients who had survived critical illness in 3 tertiary university hospitals.

RESULTS: Three main themes were identified during the transition of patients from the intensive care unit to the inpatient unit: 1) nature of ICU transition, 2) response patterns and 3) nursing therapeutics. Nurse therapeutics incorporates information, education and promotion of patient autonomy; in addition to psychological and emotional support.

CONCLUSIONS: Transitions Theory as a theoretical framework helps to understand patients' experience during ICU transition. Empowerment nursing therapeutics integrates the dimensions aimed at meeting patients' needs and expectations during ICU discharge.