Discourses of deficiency: An analysis of the critical care outreach literature

Abstract or Summary

Critical care outreach is part of a new approach to manage all critically ill patients, regardless of where they are located in the hospital. It is the complete process of care that focuses on individual patients needs rather than on beds and buildings. There has been a proliferation of research literature since critical care outreach teams were introduced and subsequently required to provide robust evidence in the form of research to prove the effectiveness of their service. The research conducted by nurses has largely focused on phenomenological inquiry and has utilised methodologies such as questionnaires and interviews.