Strained intensive care unit (ICU) capacity represents a supply-demand mismatch in ICU care. Limited data have explored health care worker (HCW) perceptions of strain. Strained capacity is perceived as common among inter-professional ICU HCW. Most suggest the precipitants of strain represent a mixture of patient-related and operations-related factors (i.e., patient flow). Strain is strongly believed to have negative implications on quality of care, on HCW well-being and on the ICU workplace environment. Strategies focused outside of direct ICU settings were perceived as key priorities for managing strain. These findings should help prioritize and direct initiatives aimed at managing strained capacity in ICUs across Alberta. Strained ICU capacity has generally been indirectly implied through routine measures of ICU performance; however, the potential subtle and varied effects of strain across the whole of the ICU environment has been less rigorously interrogated.

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