Nurses' perception of their role in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation care: A qualitative assessment

Background Recently, there has been interest in the education of nursing personnel to provide veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in Kuwait. There is need to understand the experience of nurses who take on this new role. Aim We aimed to explore the perspectives of nurses about their role, with a special focus on their competencies and the challenges faced while caring for patients who require extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Methods We used a qualitative descriptive approach, using in-depth individual interviews. Nineteen nurses working with veno-venous an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine in an adult intensive care unit of a general hospital in Kuwait were included in the study. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically. Results The role of nurses was found to be diverse and challenging and involved engaging in multiple responsibilities. Nurses worked with other health care providers in a team, which facilitated their performance. Nurses viewed themselves as competent to perform their role and attributed their competency mainly to the training received and the experience spent providing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation care. In executing their role, nurses reported encountering significant challenges, including heavy workload, inefficient communication among colleagues, and a lack of an organized/supportive system. Conclusions This study suggests that nurses play an integral role in the management of patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. An understanding of their role and their competence, the challenges they face with in the care setting, and providing a supportive environment is essential for transformation in the practice of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation nursing.