Managing Chaos by Sacrificing Self: Experiences of ICU Nurse Managers: A Classic Grounded Theory Study
Nurse managers in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are tasked with balancing the needs of critically ill patients and the nursing staff they serve. Nurse managers must balance the decreased availability of resources against the need to maintain an effective and safe environment for staff and patients. Ensuring an effective environment presents a challenge as ICU nurse managers balance their fiscal responsibilities with their commitment to patients and staff. Scant literature exists that explores the experiences of critical care nurse managers and the challenges that they face (Nasrabadi, et al, 2018). Glaser’s Classical Grounded Theory (CGT) approach was used to fill some of these gaps by exploring the experiences of ICU nurse managers as they navigate the day-to-day operations of managing an Intensive Care Unit that provides care to critically ill patients. Data for the study consisted of demographic data, semi-structured interviews with 11 ICU nurse managers that were conducted over Zoom, and the PI’s memos. The Classic Grounded Theory procedures of constant comparative analysis, coding, theoretical sampling, memoing, and writing up (Glaser, 1978, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014; Glaser & Strauss, 1967) were used to analyze the study data. The theory that emerged from the study provides insight and enhances understanding of the day-to-day lives of ICU nurse managers as they balance the competing demands of their patients, their staff, their own needs, and the demands of the hospital organization. The theory that emerged from the data was Managing Chaos by Sacrificing Self. The participants’ main concern, Managing Chaos, is resolved by Sacrificing Self, a process consisting of three sub-categories: Making it Work, Stuck in the Middle, and Sacrificing Self.
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The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston