Nurse and Physician Perceptions of Working With Goal-Directed Therapy in the Perioperative Period

PURPOSE: To explore nurse and physician perceptions of working with and collaborating about arterial wave analysis for goal-directed therapy to identify barriers and facilitators for use in anesthesia departments, postanesthesia care units, and intensive care units.

DESIGN: A qualitative study drawing on ethnographic principles in a field study using the technique of nonparticipating observation and semistructured interviews.

METHODS: Data collection occurred using semistructured interviews with nurses (n = 23) and physicians (n = 12) and field observations in three anesthetic departments. An inductive approach for content analysis was used.

FINDINGS: The results showed one overarching theme Interprofessional collaboration encourage and impede based on three categories: (1) interprofessional and professional challenges; (2) obtaining competencies; and (3) understanding optimal fluid treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Several barriers identified related to interprofessional collaboration. Nurses and physicians were dependent on each other's skills and capabilities to use arterial wave analysis. Education of nurses and physicians is important to secure optimal use of goal-directed therapy.