Person‐Centred Care Among Intensive Care Unit Nurses: The Role of Delirium Care Burden, Nursing Competency and Positive Organisational Culture

BACKGROUND: Person-centred care (PCC) recognises patients as unique individuals and provides care through person-centred communications. AIM: This study aimed to examine the combined associations of nursing competency (prerequisite), positive organisational culture (care environment) and delirium care burden (contextual barrier) with PCC among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, based on McCormack and McCance's Person-Centred Nursing Framework. STUDY DESIGN: This descriptive cross-sectional study included nurses working in the ICUs of a university hospital in South Korea. The data were collected between 30 June and 17 July 2023. The survey assessed general characteristics, nursing competency, positive organisational culture, delirium care burden and PCC. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: PCC was significantly and positively correlated with nursing competency (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and positive organisational culture (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that positive organisational culture (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) and nursing competency (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with PCC, whereas delirium care burden was not significantly associated with it. CONCLUSIONS: To enhance PCC in ICUs, it is essential to strengthen nursing competency (prerequisite) and foster a positive organisational culture (care environment). The lack of a significant association between delirium care burden and PCC suggests that ICU nurses maintain person-centred practices despite care strains. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: To improve nursing competency and organisational culture, competency development programmes tailored to the professional characteristics of ICU nurses are necessary, along with adequate resource allocation and human resource management. Furthermore, organisational-level efforts such as improving policy and reward systems are required to create a supportive care environment.