Psychiatric consultation with MICU nurses: the consultation conference as a working group.

A group of MICU nurses responded to a series of acute and chronic clinical and administrative stresses by establishing a consultation conference with a psychoanalyst. The evolution of the consultation conference into an ongoing working group is described. Its value as a modality to help deal with the special stresses of MICU nursing personnel is discussed. The problems of introducing a research focus into the conference are examined.