Perceptions of Family Members, Nurses, and Physicians on Involving Patients’ Families in Delirium Prevention

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela L. Smithburger ◽  
Amanda S. Korenoski ◽  
Sandra L. Kane-Gill ◽  
Sheila A. Alexander

BACKGROUND Delirium occurs in up to 80% of patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Nonpharmacologic delirium-prevention strategies, which are commonly used by the bedside nurse, have reduced the incidence and duration of delirium in patients in the intensive care unit. With increasing demands on the nurse, strategies such as including the patient’s family in delirium prevention activities should be investigated. OBJECTIVE To determine opinions and willingness of health care providers to involve patients’ families in nonpharmacologic delirium-prevention activities in the intensive care unit, and of patients’ families to be involved. METHODS Two surveys, one for intensive care unit nurses and physicians and one for patients’ families, were developed and administered. The provider survey focused on current delirium-prevention practices and opinions about family involvement. The family survey concentrated on barriers and willingness to participate in prevention activities. RESULTS Sixty nurses and 58 physicians completed the survey. Most physicians (93%) and all nurses believed families could assist with delirium prevention. Only 50% reported speaking with family members about delirium and delirium prevention. The family survey was completed by 60 family members; 38% reported a provider spoke with them about delirium. Family members reported high levels of comfort in participating in delirium-prevention activities. CONCLUSIONS Health care providers and family members are supportive of the latter performing delirium-prevention activities. Family of patients in the intensive care unit may work collaboratively with nurses to reduce the incidence and duration of delirium in these patients.

1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy E. Page ◽  
Nancy M. Boeing

Much controversy has arisen in the last few decades regarding parental and family visitation in the intensive care setting. The greatest needs of parents while their child is in an intensive care unit include: to be near their child, to receive honest information, and to believe their child is receiving the best care possible. The barriers that exist to the implementation of open visitation mostly are staff attitudes and misconceptions of parental needs. Open visitation has been found in some studies to make the health-care providers’ job easier, decrease parental anxiety, and increase a child’s cooperativeness with procedures. To provide family-centered care in the pediatric intensive care unit, the family must be involved in their child’s care from the day of admission. As health-care providers, the goal is to empower the family to be able to advocate and care for their child throughout and beyond the life crisis of a pediatric intensive care unit admission


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn E. Cody ◽  
Susan Sullivan-Bolyai ◽  
Patricia Reid-Ponte

Background The hospitalization of a family member in an intensive care unit can be stressful for the family. Family bedside rounds is a way for the care team to inform family members, answer questions, and involve them in care decisions. The experiences of family members with intensive care unit bedside rounds have been examined in few studies. Objectives To describe (1) the experiences of family members of patients in the intensive care unit who participated in family bedside rounds (ie, view of the illness, role in future management, and long-term consequences on individual and family functioning) and (2) the experiences of families who chose not to participate in family bedside rounds and their perspectives regarding its value, their illness view, and future involvement in care. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was done, undergirded by the Family Management Style Framework, examining families that participated and those that did not. Results Most families that participated (80%) found the process helpful. One overarching theme, Making a Connection: Comfort and Confidence, emerged from participating families. Two major factors influenced how that connection was made: consistency and preparing families for the future. Three types of consistency were identified: consistency in information being shared, in when rounds were being held, and in informing families of rounding delays. In terms of preparing families for the future, families appeared to feel comfortable with the situation when a connection was present. When any of the factors were missing, families described feelings of anger, frustration, and fear. Family members who did not participate described similar feelings and fear of the unknown because of not having participated. Conclusion What health care providers say to patients’ families matters. Families may need to be included in decision-making with honest, consistent, easy-to-understand information.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Maria Tegelela Iiyambo ◽  
Louis Small ◽  
Agnes Van Dyk ◽  
Esther Kamenye

The aim of this study was to understand what the family members of a person with a head injury go through during the pre-hospitalization, hospitalization and rehabilitation period. The objective set for this study was to explore and describe the experiences of family members of a person with a head injury.A purposive sample was selected from the records of the Intensive Care Unit at the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati where the addresses of the head injury patients were identified. A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was conducted utilizing individual in-depth face-to-face interview to gather data from family members of a person with a head injury. Data was analyzed using Tech’s method for content analysis.The results of this study showed that family members of a person with head injury had varied and different experiences varying from different feelings, challenges and support to them.Recommendations based on the findings were made for both health care providers and family members of a person with a head injury.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Gustavo Ferrer ◽  
Chi Chan Lee ◽  
Monica Egozcue ◽  
Hector Vazquez ◽  
Melissa Elizee ◽  
...  

Background: During the process of transition of care from the intensive care setting, clarity, and understanding are vital to a patient's outcome. A successful transition of care requires collaboration between health-care providers and the patient's family. The objective of this project was to assess the quality of continuity of care with regard to family perceptions, education provided, and psychological stress during the process. Methods: A prospective study conducted in a long-term acute care (LTAC) facility. On admission, family members of individuals admitted to the LTAC were asked to fill out a 15-item questionnaire with regard to their experiences from preceding intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. The setting was an LTAC facility. Patients were admitted to an LTAC after ICU admission. Results: Seventy-six participants completed the questionnaire: 38% expected a complete recovery, 61% expected improvement with disabilities, and 1.3% expected no recovery. With regard to the length of stay in the LTAC, 11% expected < 1 week, 26% expected 1 to 2 weeks, 21% expected 3 to 4 weeks, and 42% were not sure. Before ICU discharge, 33% of the participants expected the transfer to the LTAC. Also, 72% did not report a satisfactory level of knowledge regarding their family's clinical condition or medical services required; 21% did not receive help from family members; and 50% reported anxiety, 20% reported depression, and 29% reported insomnia. Conclusion: Families' perception of patients' prognosis and disposition can be different from what was communicated by the physician. Families' anxiety and emotional stress may precipitate this discrepancy. The establishment of optimal projects to eliminate communication barriers and educate family members will undoubtedly improve the quality of transition of care from the ICU.


2000 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Holditch-Davis ◽  
Margaret Shandor Miles

The purpose of this article is to let mothers tell the stories of their neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experiences and to determine how well these experiences fit the Preterm Parental Distress Model. Interviews were conducted with 31 mothers when their infants were six months of age corrected for prematurity and were analyzed using the conceptual model as a framework. The analysis verified the presence in the data of the six major sources of stress indicated in the Preterm Parental Distress Model: (1) pre-existing and concurrent personal and family factors, (2) prenatal and perinatal experiences, (3) infant illness, treatments, and appearance in the NICU, (4) concerns about the infant’s outcomes, (5) loss of the parental role, and (6) health care providers. The study indicates that health care providers, and especially nurses, can have a major role in reducing parental distress by maintaining ongoing communication with parents and providing competent care for their infants.


2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margo Charchuk ◽  
Christy Simpson

When a newborn is admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit the parents may experience a variety of emotions, including a heightened sense of loyalty to their child. While health care providers are working to meet the medical needs of their patients, parents need to find ways to fulfill this sense of loyalty and to express it via hope. Through sharing the experience of having a child in the NICU, I examine hope and loyalty as critical features of parents’ NICU experience, explaining why these emotions need to be acknowledged and encouraged by health care professionals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 196-198
Author(s):  
Pardeep Dhingra

Background: Having a newborn baby admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be a stressful experience for the parents. Objectives: This study was planned to know the following: 1. The concerns of parents whose babies were admitted in NICU 2. Parental satisfaction level about the services provided 3. Assessment of parents for their understanding and knowledge at discharge Study Design: Semiqualitative interview. Participants: Parents of 100 (56 M, 44 F) neonates. Intervention: We subjected them to a semiqualitative interview on the day of discharge of their newborn infant. Questionnaire consisted of parent’s understanding regarding NICU and health care providers, their perspective about the possible cause of illness in their baby along with competence and communication skills of health care providers. Parental satisfaction about the services was assessed by the short assessment of patient satisfaction (SAPS). They were assessed for their anxiety and depression levels by hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS). They were assessed for their knowledge about care of baby at home after discharge by patient knowledge questionnaire (PKQ). Results: Parents of 44% babies had no prior idea about NICU and why babies need to be admitted. In total, 48% mothers and 36% fathers had clinically significant anxiety levels as assessed by HADS. Many parents complained about lack of communication about their babies illness, its cause, duration of treatment, and prognosis. Both parents scored the caregivers on borderline scores on the SAPS. At discharge only 13% knew the correct dose and duration of medicines prescribed. PKQ scores varied from 5 to 20. Almost all parents emphasized the need for more space, resting place for mothers, and better communication by doctors. Conclusions: This study reveals a significant communication gap between health care providers and parents. Concerns of parents have to be addressed to have their full participation in newborn care.


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