Transitions and empowerment theory: A framework for nursing interventions during intensive care unit patient transition

Objectives: 1) To explore the main characteristics of intensive care unit transition according to patients' lived experience and 2) to identify nursing therapeutics to facilitate patients' transition from the intensive care unit to the inpatient unit.Methodology: Secondary analysis of the findings of a descriptive qualitative study on the expe-rience of patients admitted to an ICU during the transition to the inpatient unit, based on the nursing transitions theory. Data for the primary study were generated from 48 semi-structured interviews of patients who had survived critical illness in three tertiary university hospitals.Results: Three main themes were identified during the transition of patients from the intensive care unit to the inpatient unit: 1) nature of ICU transition, 2) response patterns and 3) nursing therapeutics. Nurse therapeutics incorporates information, education and promotion of patient autonomy; in addition to psychological and emotional support.Conclusions: Transitions theory as a theoretical framework helps to understand patients' expe-rience during ICU transition. Empowerment nursing therapeutics integrates the dimensions aimed at meeting patients' needs and expectations during ICU discharge.& COPY; 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Sociedad Espanola de Enfermeria Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).