Missed nursing care, defined as the omission or delay of necessary nursing tasks, poses significant risks to patient safety and nurse well-being in the high-stakes environment of Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Despite its prevalence, the subjective experiences of ICU nurses encountering this phenomenon remain underexplored, particularly in high-acuity settings. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of ICU nurses regarding missed nursing care, focusing on their perceptions, emotions, and the contextual factors influencing care delivery. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed. Fifteen ICU nurses from three tertiary care hospitals in Urmia, Iran, were purposively sampled. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted between January 2024 and June 2025. Data analysis followed Colaizzi’s phenomenological method. Trustworthiness was ensured through member checking, triangulation, and adherence to COREQ guidelines. The overarching theme, “The Haunting Echoes of Omitted Care,” encapsulates the pervasive impact of missed care on nurses’ professional and emotional lives. Four subthemes emerged: Relentless Systemic Pressures, Emotional Erosion Over Time, Moral Quagmires of Compromise, and Fragile Threads of Adaptation. These reflect the interplay of systemic, emotional, and ethical factors shaping missed care experiences. Missed nursing care in ICUs is a complex phenomenon driven by systemic constraints and mitigated by nurses’ resilience. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, such as acuity-based staffing and ethics support, to reduce care omissions and support nurse well-being. Future research should explore longitudinal and cross-cultural perspectives to enhance care quality in critical settings. Not applicable.
Abdollahi et al. (Sat,) studied this question.