Providing humane care in intensive care units (ICUs) is a crucial ethical issue due to the critical nature of patients in these units. This study aimed to examine the experiences of ICU nurses in providing humanity-based care (HBC) to patients admitted to these units. This study uses an exploratory-descriptive qualitative design. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 nurses working in the ICUs of five educational hospitals. Finally, the data were analyzed via conventional content analysis with the five steps of Graneheim and Lundman’s technique. Data analysis identified a main theme and eight main categories. The main themes of this study were: “humanity-based care” and the eight categories included providing patient-centered care, providing patients’ best interests, providing mental and emotional comfort, evidence-based practice, respect for human dignity and values, avoiding violence in care, patient education, and effective patient communication. Since helping and caring for a person at risk is a moral obligation, the critical conditions of ICU patients and the need for HBC increase the duty of nurses as providers of direct care to this group of patients.
Cheraghi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.