Partnerships in intensive care unit (ICU): a new model of nursing care delivery.

Aim: The purpose of this project was to explore an alternate nursing workforce model in major public hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Drivers for this project included improving patient care, facilitating access to intensive care (ICU) beds and managing the changing nursing workforce challenges.

Methods: Using an exploratory descriptive design completed over two stages, a nursing partnership model with Enrolled Nurses (ENs) and experienced ICU nurses was piloted over a nine month period from May 2006.