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Background: The literature regarding nurses' experiences of caring for chronically critically ill (CCI) patients is scant, however, there are subtleties within the literature, identifying nurses are often challenged providing care to this patient group. This can lead to feeling frustrated, lack of control, and distress. Aims and objectives: As part of a larger study, this paper reports nurses' experiences of caring for patients during a prolonged critical illness in the intensive care unit (ICU). Design A longitudinal, qualitative, instrumental, multi‐case study consisting of six cases from four New Zealand ICUs was conducted. Theoretical underpinnings were informed by the Chronic Illness Trajectory Framework. The principles of consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research were applied in reporting the methods and findings. Methods: Patients, family members, nurses, and other health care professionals constituted the participant groups in the larger body of work. Data were collected from observations, conversations, interviews, and document review. Data were analysed by identifying themes, developing vignettes, and trajectory mapping. Results: Nurses' experiences of caring for CCI patients in the ICU can be framed by a prolonged critical illness trajectory that is unpredictable, problematic, and prolonged. Nurses experienced distress in one of the phases in the trajectory because of uncertainty about a positive outcome for the patient related to multiple complications, with anxiety, delirium, and the suffering they witnessed. Nurses were frustrated and challenged to meet all the patient's needs because of the many tasks they needed to complete over the shift. Conclusion: Understanding the trajectory of a prolonged critical illness from the perspective of nurses, allows for challenges to be identified and is the first step in improving practice through the education of nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: Understanding the challenges posed by caring for CCI patients will assist in improving their interactions and prioritizing their care for nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There had been little focus on the well‐being of intensive care nurses until a recent programme of research found work well‐being to be best described as a collection of elements, a multifaceted construct. Strengtheners of intensive care nurses' work well‐being were found to extend across individual, relational, and organizational resources. Actions such as simplifying their lives, giving and receiving team support, and accessing employee assistance programmes were just a few of the intensive care nurses' identified strengtheners. Aims and objectives: To synthesize intensive care nurse perceptions of work well‐being characteristics and strengtheners to identify opportunities for job crafting and redesign. Design: This was a qualitative secondary analysis. Methods: Intensive care nurse work well‐being characteristics and strengtheners were explored using applied thematic analysis and pre‐design, open card‐sort technique. Results: Five facets were identified in the analysis: (a) healthy, (b) authentic, (c) meaningful, (d) connected, and (e) innovative. These five facets were described from a theoretical perspective and illustrated as a conceptual model for intensive care nurse job crafting and redesign. Conclusions: The proposed conceptual model contributes new knowledge to be explored in meaningful discussions about intensive care nurse work well‐being and empirically investigated in terms of construct validity and theory development. Furthermore, the model provides practical opportunities to explore individual and collaborative ways to enhance intensive care nurse work well‐being across a range of levels. Relevance to clinical practice: Opportunities for job crafting and redesign were identified and presented in a conceptual model of intensive care nurse work well‐being. This model provides individual nurses, intensive care teams, health care organizations, and workers' well‐being programme and policy developers practical opportunities to explore individual and collaborative ways to enhance intensive care nurse work well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]