Background

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a technology that provides temporary life support to critically ill patients with heart and/or lung failure. However, the complexity of the care involved presents significant challenges for nurses. This study was conducted to determine the difficulties and anxiety levels experienced by nurses caring for patients undergoing ECMO support.

Methods

This study is a descriptive and cross-sectional research. It was conducted in Turkey. This study included 137 nurses working in third level intensive care units and caring for patients with ECMO support. Anxiety levels of nurses caring for ECMO patients were examined with the ‘State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)’.

Results

The mean state anxiety score of nurses was 44.82 ± 10.89 and the mean trait anxiety score was 43.66 ± 8.58 (possible range 20–80). There was no significant relationship between age or total length of ICU experience and state or trait anxiety scores (p > 0.05). In contrast, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between the duration of experience in caring for patients receiving ECMO and both state and trait anxiety scores (p < 0.05), indicating that nurses with more ECMO-care experience reported lower anxiety levels. Nurses perceived ECMO care as complex and reported substantial difficulties related to a high rate of complications and bleeding at the cannulation site, the risk of COVID-19 transmission, increased workload and organizational problems among team members.

Conclusions

The development of standardized protocols for the treatment and care of patients receiving ECMO plays a crucial role in improving care quality, particularly in managing bleeding risk at cannulation sites, which may support safer practices and help reduce nurses’ anxiety levels. Additionally, implementing regular training programs for nurses may help alleviate the challenges and anxiety they experience. Involving experienced nurses in ECMO care may further help alleviate these difficulties.