Exploring the transition of patients from the Intensive Care Unit to the ward in Nigeria: an exploration of the experiences of nurses

Aim: To explore the experiences of Nigerian nurses regarding the transition of patients from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to the ward following a period of critical illness. Design: An explanatory mixed methods approach was adopted in this study. Method: This study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in southern Nigeria. There were two groups of participants in the study; ICU and ward nurses. The study was carried out in two phases, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect and analyse data. The quantitative approach engaged the use of questionnaires which were analysed using descriptive statistics. The outcome of the survey informed the qualitative phase of the study. The qualitative approach involved the use of semi-structured interviews to collect data which were thematically analysed. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim before thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke‘s tools to generate various themes and subthemes. Result: A total of 100 questionnaires were distributed for the quantitative survey with a response rate of 56%. 18 ICU and ward nurses participated in the qualitative stage of the study. Findings of the quantitative study provided a contextual overview such as nurse’s involvement, composition of the transitional care team and measures to promote patients transition from ICU to ward. Five themes emerged from the qualitative aspects of the study. These are knowledge of transitional care, transitional care; huge responsibility for ICU and ward nurses, transitional care: challenging for nurses, patients and relatives, ICU discharge: a positive sign for patients and their relatives and suggested measures for improving transitional care. Conclusion: This study provides a contextual insight into the nurse’s perception of the patient’s transition from ICU to the ward following a period of critical illness. Findings of this study can potentially be used within the healthcare setting to improve patients care throughout the transitional care period.