The invisible face of ECMO: anxiety levels and challenges among intensive care nurses

Abstract

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technology that provides temporary life support to critically ill patients with heart and/or lung failure. However, the complexity of the care involved presents significant challenges for nurses. This study was conducted to determine the difficulties and anxiety levels experienced by nurses caring for patients undergoing ECMO support. Methods This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional research. It was conducted in Turkey. This study included 137 nurses working in third level intensive care units and caring for patients with ECMO support. Anxiety levels of nurses caring for ECMO patients were examined with the ‘State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)’. Results The mean state anxiety score of nurses was 44.82 ± 10.89 and the mean trait anxiety score was 43.66 ± 8.58 (possible range 20–80). There was no significant relationship between age or total length of ICU experience and state or trait anxiety scores ( p > 0.05). In contrast, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the duration of experience in caring for patients receiving ECMO and both state and trait anxiety scores ( p