Associations Between Perceived Environmental Stress Factors and Comfort by Patients in the Surgical Intensive Care Units: Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between perceived environmental stressors and patient comfort in surgical intensive care units (ICUs). Material and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive design. The research was conducted in the surgical ICUs of a university hospital. Data were collected between November 2021 and March 2022 (n=108) using the Participant Identification Form, the ICU Environmental Stressors and the General Comfort Scales (GCS). Data were analysed using the SPSS, v. 22.0 with a significance level of 0.05. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 58.3% of the participants were female, 77.8% were married and 80.6% were on their 3rd day in the unit. In addition, 63% had never been admitted to an ICU and 60.2% were satisfied with the care they received. The mean total score for the Environmental Stressors Scale was 139.1±17.2, while the GCS was 129.4±11.2. The number of days spent in the unit, the presence of chronic diseases and the presence of environmental stressors significantly influenced perceived stressors. Gender, marital status, previous experience, being affected by environmental stressors and satisfaction with care influenced comfort. However, it was found that there was no statistically significant relationship between the overall comfort score and the perceived environment score (p>0.05). Conclusion: It was found that patients' comfort is ensured when their satisfaction with care is high despite environmental stressors. Therefore, it is very important for nurses to plan individualised care that provides patients' comfort and reduces environmental stressors.