Ward nurses' experiences and perceptions of the critical care outreach service: A qualitative study undertaken in a large teaching hospital in the West of Ireland.

Background: The critical care outreach service (CCOS) was established in a large teaching hospital in the West of Ireland in 2014 to provide an extension of CCOS between the intensive care unit (ICU) and the wards outside ICU. With the ever-increasing pressure on ICU resources, CCOS seems to offer an additional service to patients who are critically ill and deteriorating in hospital wards.

Aim: The aim of this study is to explore ward nurses' experiences and perceptions of the CCOS.