Background: Severe sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s overwhelming immune response to an infection. It can lead to organ failure and death if immediate treatment, such as intravenous (IV) fluids and antibiotics, are not commenced within the first hour. While a large number of studies have analysed the administration of first-dose antibiotics, the time-critical initiation of IV fluids has not always been given its deserved priority. To date, studies have not explored factors that inhibit timely IV fluid administration and the experience of emergency nurses relating to initiating early goal-directed fluid resuscitation (EGDFR). Purpose: To explore the experiences of emergency nurses related to initiating EGDFR in the care of patients with sepsis Methods: A qualitative exploratory approach, encompassing face-to-face semi-structured interviews, was used for data collection. Ten registered nurses were interviewed, who were currently practicing in emergency settings across New South Wales (NSW). Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis framework guided the data analysis. Findings: Three themes and associated subthemes were identified. The three themes are (i) Nurses’ perceptions and experiences regarding IV fluid administration in sepsis, (ii) Challenges related to initiating IV fluid, and (iii) Strategies to improve compliance with EGDFR. Participants described various factors they found that inhibited timely initiation of IV fluids, including busyness of the department, delayed diagnosis of sepsis, complex patient presentations and limited scope of nurses’ practice to initiate IV fluids. Conclusion: It is anticipated that the outcomes of this research will provide an impetus for re-evaluating current protocol guidelines to provide a positive impact on the scope of emergency nurse practice for initiating EGDFR
