Nursing and Intensive Care: Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Necessary for Nursing Practice

Abstract

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a highly complex environment that requires nurses to possess specific competencies for the care of critically ill patients. This study aimed to analyze the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for nurses working in intensive care, based on national and international scientific literature. This is an integrative literature review with a qualitative and descriptive-exploratory approach, developed through searches in the SciELO and LILACS databases. Descriptors related to nursing, intensive care, and professional competencies were used, combined with Boolean operators. Inclusion criteria comprised full-text articles published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish that addressed the guiding research question. At the end of the selection process, eight studies were included and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The results showed that ICU nurses' competencies are multidimensional, involving technical-scientific knowledge, clinical and managerial skills, as well as ethical and behavioral attitudes. Key competencies identified include leadership, decision-making, critical thinking, effective communication, and care management, in addition to the importance of humanization and patient safety. The findings also highlight the need for continuing education and ongoing professional qualification, given the gaps in initial training and the demands of the intensive care environment. It is concluded that nurses play a fundamental role in the quality and safety of care in ICUs, making the integrated development of competencies essential for effective and humanized practice.