Intensive care nurses' perceptions of simulation-based team training for building patient safety in intensive care: a descriptive qualitative study.

Objectives: To describe intensive care nurses' perceptions of simulation-based team training for building patient safety in intensive care.

Background: Failures in team processes are found to be contributory factors to incidents in an intensive care environment. Simulation-based training is recommended as a method to make health-care personnel aware of the importance of team working and to improve their competencies.

Design: The study uses a qualitative descriptive design.

Methods: Individual qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 intensive care nurses from May to December 2009, all of which had attended a simulation-based team training programme. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis.

Results: One main category emerged to illuminate the intensive care nurse perception: "training increases awareness of clinical practice and acknowledges the importance of structured work in teams". Three generic categories were found: "realistic training contributes to safe care", "reflection and openness motivates learning" and "finding a common understanding of team performance".

Conclusions: Simulation-based team training makes intensive care nurses more prepared to care for severely ill patients. Team training creates a common understanding of how to work in teams with regard to patient safety.