Critical Care Nursing Expertise During Air Transport

摘要

The purpose of this study was to describe the practical knowledge possessed by registered nurses who are part of the Air Forces Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) and to distinguish salient features of CCATT knowledge to critical care nursing in the hospital. This research study used descriptive, exploratory methods. Twelve CCATT nurses, identified as experts, were included in the study. Data were collected using written narratives by each participant, group interviews in which nurses discussed the written narratives, and individual interviews. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenology. Four major themes developed from the data. The knowledge embedded in CCATT nursing included preflight preparation, inflight assessment and environment, characteristics of a CCATT nurse, and hospital versus inflight nursing practice. CCATT nurses improvise and provide nursing care based on past experiences using a broad critical care knowledge base. This has led to the development of a unique body of knowledge for nursing care. The areas of assessment and preparation described by the CCATT nurses can serve as a template for the Air Forces CCATT training program and CCATT orientation checklists. This study also identified several topics for future research.