After meeting qualified specialists from Norway at the EfCCNa congress in Belfast in February 2017 the possibility occurred to use the exchange program of EfCCNa to think outside the box – how do critical care nurses work in Norway? What are the differences to Germany?
The most important structural differences to Germany are the framework conditions for the Norwegian nurses with regard to the numbers of employees present at one shift. Because the intensive best care practise for the patient is the primary focus in Norway, there is a minimum of a one-to-one-ratio in care done by critical care nurses in every of the three shifts. For every four patients, there is additionally another qualified personnel nurse to support the critical care nurses at the bedside. Apart from that each shift has always one shift supervisor who is responsible for organisational tasks.
As a result the intensive care patient is in every scope of his treatment safeguarded. Best practice, continuity in care, high awareness of hygiene for a sanitary working environment, infection prevention, a faster achievement of the therapy goals especially the weaning can be designed to be more targeted and focused through intensive care. The critical care nurses use a more efficient, multi-disciplinary way of communication and relatives are also included in certain duties of this patient-centred care approach in Norway every day.
Because of these conditions the individual care for every patient with the current applied nursing and medical standards are ensured. The most important principle is that the patient will be never left alone by a nurse. Are there medical tasks to fulfil like drawing up the syringe in a special pharmaceutical room or the responsible critical care nurse has to take the mandatory break there will always be a critical care nurse present with the patient.
During my work shadowing I have enjoyed to be a part of this top quality and respectful way of working at the intensive care unit in Tromsø. Thank you very much to all of my colleagues at the Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge for the impressive days and the open admission to your team.