Conectar
Exploring the concept of patient agitation in the intensive care unit.
Patient agitation in the intensive care unit is of widespread concern and linked to negative outcomes for patients, staff, and family members. There is currently no consensus on what constitutes agitation in the intensive care context, hindering effective and tailored prevention and management.
Concept Analysis.
Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis approach.
A comprehensive search was carried out in the databases MEDLINE, PsychINFO and CINAHL. A total of 32 papers published between 1992 and 2023 were included, reviewed, and analysed to explore definitions, attributes, antecedents and consequences of patient agitation.
Patient agitation in the intensive care unit is characterised by excessive motor activity, emotional tension, cognitive impairment, and disruption of care, often accompanied by aggression and changes in vital signs. Antecedents encompass critical illness, pharmacological agents and other drugs, physical and emotional discomfort, patient-specific characteristics and uncaring staff behaviours. Consequences of agitation range from treatment interruptions and poor patient outcomes to the psychological impact on patients, families, and staff.
Agitation in the intensive care unit is a complex issue which significantly impacts patient treatment and clinical outcomes. For healthcare professionals, patient agitation can contribute to high workloads and job dissatisfaction. Due to the complex nature of agitation, clinicians must consider multifaceted strategies and not rely on medication alone. Further research is needed to fully understand patient agitation in the ICU. Such understanding will support the development of improved strategies for preventing and managing the behaviours.
A clearer understanding of patient agitation supports the development of tailored interventions that improve patient care, guide ICU training, and inform future research.
This concept analysis was developed with input from a patient representative.
To describe the development and refinement of the Flinders Fundamentals of Care Assessment Tool for Clinical Practice through stakeholder feedback. The tool, based on the Fundamentals of Care Framework, supports healthcare leaders and clinicians in assessing fundamental care in a practical and user-friendly manner that embraces rather than minimises the inherent complexity of this care delivery as it occurs in practice.
Multi-method study informed by participatory action principles.
Data collection involved an anonymous online survey and cognitive interviews with key stakeholders internationally to gauge perspectives on the clarity, usability, and acceptability of the tool. Data were collected between October–December 2023. Quantitative, categorical data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed via content analysis.
Participants described the Tool as Comprehensive, Practical, and Useful. Participants liked the visual representation of results in the form of bar and radar diagrams, which aided in interpreting the outcomes. The main suggestions for improvement were: (1) Simplifying items relating to the ‘Context of Care’ dimension of the Fundamentals of Care Framework; (2) Reducing similarity between some items; (3) Separating or simplifying items with multiple components; and (4) Clarifying terminology.
Based on stakeholder feedback, the Flinders Fundamentals of Care Assessment Tool for Clinical Practice is now digitised and includes a comprehensive instruction manual and definitions for each element of the Fundamentals of Care Framework assessed within the tool. The tool supports healthcare leaders and clinicians to assess fundamental care delivery at multiple levels—individual, team, unit/ward, organisational—identifying areas of strength and improvement to inform decision-making, planning, and quality improvement. The tool offers a way of assessing fundamental care holistically as a multi-dimensional construct rather than as a series of disaggregated tasks, better reflecting and capturing the complex reality of fundamental care delivery.
The Flinders Fundamentals of Care Assessment Tool for Clinical Practice supports real-time feedback (i.e., immediate visualisation of results), facilitating its integration in clinical practice to support enhanced fundamental care delivery.
Seeking stakeholder feedback has enhanced the relevance, acceptability, and feasibility of the Flinders Fundamentals of Care Assessment Tool for Clinical Practice, facilitating its use as a decision-making and planning tool to support improved fundamental care delivery across clinical settings.
This study is reported using the CROSS and SRQR guidelines.
No Patient or Public Contribution.
The Fundamentals of Care (FoC) Framework emphasises that care quality depends not only on clinical tasks but also on interpersonal relationships and the organisational context in which care is delivered. Although patient-reported outcome and experience measures (PROMs and PREMs) have gained relevance in capturing these aspects, tools based on the FoC Framework remain limited in non-English-speaking settings.
To psychometrically validate the Spanish version of the FoC Intelligence Modelling Tool (FoC-IMT) and explore predictive relationships among the FoC dimensions: Context, Relationship and Integration of Care.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1053 hospitalised patients in southern Spain. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) were performed, alongside a mediation analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine directional relationships among constructs.
EFA and CFA supported a two-factor model—Context and Integration of Care—with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω = 0.97). CFA showed a moderate correlation between these factors. However, PLS-SEM mediation analysis revealed a directional model in which Context influences Relationship (β = 0.39), which in turn predicts Integration of Care (β = 0.89). Although embedded within Integration under CFA, the Relationship showed independent predictive power in PLS-SEM, validating its conceptual importance. This aligns with the foundational assumption of the FoC Framework: that caregiving quality is shaped not only by tasks or procedures but by the broader environment and interpersonal relationships in which care occurs.
The Spanish FoC-IMT Tool is a valid, reliable instrument for assessing person-centred care. The predictive model highlights the pivotal role of therapeutic relationships in delivering integrated, high-quality care.
Hospitalised patients contributed directly by responding to the FoC-IMT survey, thereby shaping the psychometric validation and predictive model. Patients were not involved in the study design, conduct or manuscript preparation.
FreshRSS 