PT08 - EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN NUTRITIONAL CARE OF CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

PT08

EXPERIENCES OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN NUTRITIONAL CARE OF CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

N. Yavuz Biyik¹, R. E. Sezer Ceren^1,*, Z. Ozdemir Koken¹

¹Department of Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye

Rationale: This study aimed to determine the factors in maintaining nutritional care of critically ill patients from the perspectives of physicians and nurses.

Methods: The study was conducted as a qualitative study with a descriptive phenomenological approach. Participants were selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion criteria: a minimum of six months' experience in an adult intensive care unit (ICU), employment in a secondary or tertiary ICU where nutritional support is provided, and direct involvement in the care of patients requiring nutritional support. Data were collected via in-depth interviews between June 2024 and January 2025. Five physicians and 11 nurses were included in this study. Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis method was used.

Results: Seven themes emerged from the analysis: (1) critical points in nutritional care, (2) the decision-making process for nutritional care, (3) roles of health professionals in nutritional care, (4) organizational barriers to continuing nutritional care, (5) patient-related barriers to continuing nutritional care, (6) health professional-related barriers to continuing nutritional care, and (7) facilitators of nutritional care. These themes encompassed a total of 32 sub-themes.

Conclusion: The multifaceted dynamics of nutritional treatment have been thoroughly examined in this study, which demonstrates that a variety of elements, including organizational structure, professional responsibilities, and patient conditions, influence this process in addition to the clinical approaches of health professionals. Long-term and sustainable solutions must be produced to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of nutritional care. It is recommended that strategies be created that encourage cooperation between healthcare professionals.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared