Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the nursing approaches shown to patients followed up in intensive care units, to describe pain in terms of the biopsychosocial aspects, and to review patient-nurse outcomes.
Material and Methods: The study was conducted in the form of qualitative research design in anesthesia, cardiovascular surgery and coronary intensive care units of a private hospital in Ankara between the dates of June 22 and December 22, 2015. The study group included twenty-six nurses who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected using observational techniques and individual interview reports.
Results: It was determined that 69.2% of the study participants were female, 77.0% were high school graduates and the duty period of 69.0% was between 1-9 years and 69.2% of them were single. As a result of obtained data from participants using observational techniques and individual interviews it was found that the nurses have attributed various meanings for pain sensation that the patients described, and have showed a psychosocial nursing approach to pain complaints, however usual reactions to nurses have been encountered in the case of ongoing pain complaint.
Conclusion: Pain is not only a stressful process that affects patient with pain complaint but also a challenging care process for nurses who provide care for patients in pain. Therefore, the pain and feelings (such as discomfort, stress), which we can call a bidirectional process that affects each other, should be attentively evaluated by nurses before interventions for pain management.