scholarly journals Burden and Needs of the Family Members of the Intensive Care Unit Patients

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 421-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Won Lee ◽  
Sun-Young Lim
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.


2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin T. Kirchhoff ◽  
Lee Walker ◽  
Ann Hutton ◽  
Vicki Spuhler ◽  
Beth Vaughan Cole ◽  
...  

• Background Lack of communication from healthcare providers contributes to the anxiety and distress reported by patients’ families after a patient’s death in the intensive care unit.• Objective To obtain a detailed picture of the experiences of family members during the hospitalization and death of a loved one in the intensive care unit.• Methods A qualitative study with 4 focus groups was used. All eligible family members from 8 intensive care units were contacted by telephone; 8 members agreed to participate.• Results The experiences of the family members resembled a vortex: a downward spiral of prognoses, difficult decisions, feelings of inadequacy, and eventual loss despite the members’ best efforts, and perhaps no good-byes. Communication, or its lack, was a consistent theme. The participants relied on nurses to keep informed about the patients’ condition and reactions. Although some participants were satisfied with this information, they wished for more detailed explanations of procedures and consequences. Those family members who thought that the best possible outcome had been achieved had had a physician available to them, options for treatment presented and discussed, and family decisions honored.• Conclusions Uncertainty about the prognosis of the patient, decisions that families make before a terminal condition, what to expect during dying, and the extent of a patient’s suffering pervade families’ end-of-life experiences in the intensive care unit. Families’ information about the patient is often lacking or inadequate. The best antidote for families’ uncertainty is effective communication.


2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1587
Author(s):  
Natália Celião Leite ◽  
Josilene De Melo Buriti Vasconcelos ◽  
Wilma Dias de Fontes

ABSTRACTObjectives: to report the experience of the nursing team and family members of ICU patients as regards communication; to learn the meaning they attribute to the communication process. Methodology: a quantitative and qualitative exploratory study carried out at the Intensive Care Unit of the school hospital. Consisting of 15 family members and 15 nursing professionals who happened to be available there during the data collection, the sample resulted from semi-structured interview guidance. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, taking into account the absolute and percentage numbers, and the technique of the Collective Subject Discourse, with presentation throughout graph, table and charts. Results: the data showed gaps in the communication, which are inherent to some professionals who neither practice nor value the communication process with the family, mainly as regards the need to prepare them for the ICU environment and the real conditions of their family members. Conclusion: the need to adopt an efficient system of communication with relatives of ICU patients is widely known. Thus, the nurse will be adopting new ways of caring, which include valuing the family members as integrating part of the nursing care, with view to humanizing the assistance. Descriptors: communication; humanization of the assistance; intensive care unit. RESUMOObjetivos: relatar a experiência da equipe de enfermagem e de familiares de pacientes internados em uma UTI, na perspectiva da comunicação; apreender o significado por eles atribuído ao processo de comunicação. Métodologia: estudo exploratório, quantiqualitativo, realizado na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva de hospital escola. A amostra foi formada por 15 familiares e 15 profissionais de enfermagem que se encontravam no local, por ocasião da coleta de dados, a qual ocorreu por meio de um roteiro de entrevista semi-estruturado. Os dados foram analisados por meio da estatística descritiva, levando-se em conta os números absolutos e percentuais, e da técnica do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo, com apresentação em gráfico, tabela e quadros. Resultados: os dados mostram lacunas na comunicação, as quais são inerentes a alguns profissionais que não praticam e não valorizam o processo de comunicação com a família, principalmente no que diz respeito à necessidade de prepará-los para compreender o ambiente da UTI e as reais condições de seus familiares. Conclusão: é notória a necessidade de se adotar um sistema eficaz de comunicação com os familiares de pacientes internados na UTI. Assim, o enfermeiro estará adotando novas formas de cuidar, que incluem a valorização dos familiares como parte integrante do cuidado de enfermagem na perspectiva da humanização da assistência. Descritores: comunicação; humanização da assistência; unidade de terapia intensiva.RESUMENObjetivos: relatar la experiencia del equipo de enfermería y parientes de pacientes de UTI, en cuanto a la comunicación; aprender el significado que ellos atribuyen al proceso de comunicación. Metodología: estudio exploratorio, cuantitativo y cualitativo, realizado en la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva del hospital escuela. Formada por 15 parientes y 15 profesionales de enfermería que se encontraban disponibles en el sitio durante el recogimiento de los datos, la muestra resultó de la rutina de una entrevista semi-estructurada. Los datos fueron analizados a través de la estadística descriptiva, llevándose en cuenta los números absolutos y porcentajes, la técnica del Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo, con presentación en gráfico, tabla y cuadros. Resultado: los datos enseñan brechas en la comunicación, las cuales son propias de algunos profesionales que no practican y no valoran el proceso de comunicación con la familia, principalmente en cuanto a la necesidad de les preparar a entender el ambiente de la UTI y las reales condiciones de sus parientes. Conclusión: es notoria la necesidad de adoptarse un sistema de comunicación eficiente con los parientes de pacientes de UTI. Así, el enfermero estará adoptando nuevas maneras de cuidar, las cuales incluyen la valoración de los parientes como parte del cuidado de enfermero, con vista a la humanización de la asistencia. Descriptores: comunicación; humanización de la asistencia; unidad de terapia intensiva. 


Author(s):  
Wan Nor Aliza Wan Abdul Rahman ◽  
Abdul Karim Othman ◽  
Yuzana Mohd Yusop ◽  
Asyraf Afthanorhan ◽  
Hasnah Zani ◽  
...  

In admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU), there is a high possibility of a life-threatening condition and possible emotional distress for family members. When the family is distressed and hospitalized, a significant level of stress and anxiety will be generated among family members, thereby decreasing their ability to make responsible decisions. As a result, the family members need full and up-to-date details, helping them to retain hope, and this contributes to lower stress levels. While there is growing evidence of the effectiveness of shared decision-making for family members who are directly involved in decisions, particularly regarding shared decision-making in the Malaysian context, there is less evidence that supported decisions help overall outcome. This study aims to developing the family satisfaction with decision making in the Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU)-33 Malay language version of family member’s satisfaction with care and decision making during their stay at the intensive care units. A quantitative, cross-sectional validation study and purposive sampling was conducted from 1st November 2017 and 10 October 2018 to January 2020 among 208 of family members.  The family members of the ICU patients involved in this study had an excellent satisfaction level with service care. Higher satisfaction in ICU care resulting in higher decision-making satisfaction and vice versa.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Irene Jensen ◽  
Kristin Halvorsen ◽  
Heidi Jerpseth ◽  
Isabell Fridh ◽  
Ranveig Lind

Topic A substantial number of patients die in the intensive care unit, so high-quality end-of-life care is an important part of intensive care unit work. However, end-of-life care varies because of lack of knowledge of best practices. Clinical Relevance Research shows that high-quality end-of-life care is possible in an intensive care unit. This article encourages nurses to be imaginative and take an individual approach to provide the best possible end-of-life care for patients and their family members. Purpose of Paper To provide recommendations for high-quality end-of-life care for patients and family members. Content Covered This article touches on the following domains: end-of-life decision-making, place to die, patient comfort, family presence in the intensive care unit, visiting children, family needs, preparing the family, staff presence, when the patient dies, after-death care of the family, and caring for staff.


2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 1832-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Élie Azoulay ◽  
Frédéric Pochard ◽  
Sylvie Chevret ◽  
Christophe Adrie ◽  
Djilali Annane ◽  
...  

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.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iokasti Papathanasiou ◽  
Vasileios Tzenetidis ◽  
Athanasios Nikolentzos ◽  
Pavlos Sarafis ◽  
Maria Malliarou

Abstract Background: The admission of a patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a traumatic experience for the patient himself and his support group which mainly consists of his family members. The psychological burden of the family members increases, as they experience negative feelings. The implementation of family-centered care helps family members to satisfy their needs, eliminates psychological impact and improves patient’s health outcomes. The aim of this study is to investigate the family members’ satisfaction with patient care in the ICU, their perceived stress, spirituality and resilience.Methods: One hundred and four family members of patients admitted in the ICU for greater than 48 hours between January and March 2019 were enrolled. The questionnaire included the following psychometric tools: the Family Satisfaction with care in the Intensive Care Unit scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Connor – Davidson Resilience Scale, the Daily Spiritual Experience Scale and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Scale. Results: The mean value of satisfaction with care was 88,9%, of satisfaction with decision making was 79,1% and of the overall satisfaction was 85%. Resilience was associated with perceived stress (p<0,001) and with spirituality (p= 0,019). Spirituality was associated with satisfaction with care (p= 0.013), with satisfaction with decision making (p= 0,018) and with the overall satisfaction (p= 0,003).Conclusions: Family members were highly satisfied. Those with higher spirituality score were more satisfied and those who were more resilient had less perceived stress. These data suggest that interventions should aim at increasing resilience and providing spiritual assistance to family members of ICU treated patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 143-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiahui Chen ◽  
Jacqueline Michaels ◽  
Mary Ann Meeker

The purpose of this review was to evaluate end-of-life care (EOLC) in the intensive care unit (ICU) from the perspective of family members. Sandelowski’s segregated approach from Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Mixed-Methods Systematic Reviews guided this review. A search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and ProQuest databases and identified 50 papers (33 quantitative, 15 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methodology studies). Five synthesized themes (distressing emotions, shared decision-making, proactive communication, personalized end-of- life care, and valuing of nursing care) were identified. For quantitative results, study methodologies and interventions were heterogeneous and did not always improve family members’ perceived quality of care and family members’ psychological distress. Configuration of qualitative and quantitative data revealed ICU end-of-life interventions were ineffective because they were not guided by family members’ reported needs and perceptions. To fulfill the family members’ needs for the patients’ EOLC in the ICU, researchers should develop a theory to explicitly explain how the family members experience ICU EOLC and implement a theory-based intervention to improve family psychological outcomes.


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