Abstract

Background of the Study: A Critical Care Unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive care medicine and nursing, and it is place where the challenge of machine technology in nursing is greatest. The development of intensive care units made the care for more seriously sick patients possible. It allows utilizing more technically oriented tools to monitor and get information instantly about any changes of the patient's physiological parameters and developed new strategies to save life to the critically ill patient who is characterized by the presence of real or potential life-threatening health problems and by the requirement for continuous observation and intervention to prevent complications and restore health. Technological developments become incorporated into nursing practice where nurses found that close observation could be done without present at the patient’s side. Advance new technology may negatively affect the quality of care and they may produce many challenges to critical care nurse.

Objectives of the Study was to Assess perceptions of nursing personnel who work in the critical Care Units regarding the use of technological equipment and identify the association between demographic characteristics and the Perceptions of nurse participants.

Methods: Data collection instrument was composed of two parts: Part 1: Socio-Demographic data. Part 2: Perception about the Technological equipments. Five points Likert scale scoring method was used; as one (strongly disagree), two (disagree), three (uncertain), four (agree), and five (strongly agree). A quantitative, descriptive, and non-experimental study design was used in this study, as well as a non-probability sampling method. 60 nurse Participants were selected from ICU, ICCU, HDU, OT recovery and casualty. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data.

Results: Demonstrated that the majority 86.7% (n=52) agreed that the Technology makes Easy completion of nursing duties, 91.7% (n=55) agreed Technology can save nurses time”, 68.3% (n=41) uncertain, “Technology may provide Higher patient safety through prompt and proper recognition of complications, 48.3% (n=29) agreed, “Technology makes treatment more secure”, 73.3% (n=44) agreed, “Technology equipment makes Faster completion of nursing duties” 82% (n=49) agreed that Technological equipments may Easy to use in emergency situation. 73% (n=44) agreed Accomplish task more quickly”, 55% (n=33) agreed Technological equipment may Increased patient risk from misinterpretation of data, 48.3% (n=29) agreed, “Technology makes treatment more secure”, 65% (n=39) agreed, “Advance technology keep nurses motivated for learning” The results of this study revealed that the majority of Critical Care Nurses has positive perception for using technological equipments and Significant association found between age and perception. (p=0.05) 

Keywords: perception, critical care unit, Equipments.