Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40033261›Full record

ArticleBMC nursing2025

Critical care nurses role and scope of practice during a global crisis: a qualitative study.

Ina Thon Aamodt, Dag-Gunnar Stubberud, Anne Eikeland, Kristin Westgaard Sunde, Frigg Johanne Jahren Petersen, Sandra Karoliussen Hammer, Kristin Halvorsen

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC nursing, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ina Thon AamodtDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Pb 4 St. Olavs Plass, Oslo, 0130, Norway. inamari@oslomet.no.
Dag-Gunnar StubberudDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Pb 4 St. Olavs Plass, Oslo, 0130, Norway.
Anne EikelandDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Pb 4 St. Olavs Plass, Oslo, 0130, Norway.
Kristin Westgaard SundeDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Pb 4 St. Olavs Plass, Oslo, 0130, Norway.
Frigg Johanne Jahren PetersenIntensive Care Unit, Surgical Division, Akershus University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Sandra Karoliussen HammerGeneral Intensive Care Unit 1, Department of Post-operative and Critical Care, Division of Emergencies and Critical Care, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
Kristin HalvorsenDepartment of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Science, Oslo Metropolitan University, Pb 4 St. Olavs Plass, Oslo, 0130, Norway.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCritical care nurses (CCNs) role and scope of practice include advanced nursing care for acute and critically ill patients and patients significant others. Before the pandemic, it was well-known that there was a shortage of nurses globally and a need to invest in greater self-sufficiency of nurses. The borders closed at the start of the pandemic in Norway and intensive care units were challenged with increased numbers of seriously ill patients and a shortage of CCNs. This study aimed to explore how CCNs experienced their role and scope of practice during the COVID-19 crisis in Norway.

methodsThe study had a descriptive explorative design. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen CCNs working in five intensive care units from four hospitals during the pandemic in Norway. The interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarkes six-phase approach to thematic analysis.

resultsThe CCNs described their role and scope of clinical practice with promoting safe critical care nursing, competence in critical care nursing and their moral responsibility during the COVID-19 crisis in Norway. Promoting safe critical care nursing was challenged with. Competence in critical care nursing was useful in caring for patients with COVID-19 and in collaboration with less experienced and allocated healthcare professionals. The moral responsibility of a CCN is to contribute during a national crisis and to promote a patient and family-centred environment.

conclusionsThis study aimed to explore critical care nurses` experience of their role and scope of practice when caring for patients with COVID-19 during the pandemic in Norway. The findings revealed a need to acknowledge the unique broad competence and moral responsibility of CCNs in caring for ICU patients when an unknown virus led to the lockdown of a country such as Norway. Moreover, the CCNs` role and scope of a wide variety of responsibilities needs to be addressed, and their strong sense of duty needs attention and support. A sustainable qualified critical care workforce should be established and supported to prepare for future global crises.

Indexed as

Covid-19Critical care nursingExperienceIntensive care unitQualitative studyRole and scope

Identifiers

PMID40033261
PMCPMC11877795

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.