The Critical Role of Nurses in Patient Care in the Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: Patients with potential life-threatening processes and vital organ dysfunction who require specialized care are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and critical care nurses have vital roles in patient care. This study was conducted to examine the critical role of nurses in patient care in the ICU.Methods: This is a review study, and papers published within the period of 2006-2024 were investigated. Conducting this search, papers related to this subject were extracted from PubMed, Magiran, Google Scholar, Elsevier, and SID databases.Results: critical care nurses play a vital role in the ICU with significant responsibilities, including holistic and hands-on care, effective nurse-patient communication, patient advocate and empowerment, family support, surveillance, patient monitoring, decision-making support, end-of-life care, ethical consideration, important member of Rapid Response teams, safe and high-quality care, palliative care, pain management, infection prevention, psychological support, rehabilitation of patients, patient education, and overall, patient management.Conclusion: The nursing profession plays an indispensable role in the healthcare system, particularly in the ICU. Their responsibilities go beyond clinical tasks. The significance of nursing is evident in its impact on patient outcomes, improving not only survival rates but also the quality of life for critically ill individuals.

The Critical Role of Nurses in Patient Care in the Intensive Care Unit Keywords:

Role of Nurses , Patient Care , Intensive Care Unit