The perspective of families of the critically ill patient: their needs

Impact of restricted family presence during the COVID-19 pandemic on critically ill patients, families, and critical care clinicians: a qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

We aimed to synthesize the qualitative evidence on the impacts of COVID-19-related restricted family presence policies from the perspective of patients, families, and healthcare professionals from neonatal (NICU), pediatric (PICU), or adult ICUs.

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Databases of Reviews and Clinical Trials, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Two researchers independently reviewed titles/abstracts and full-text articles for inclusion. Thematic analysis was completed following appraising article quality and assessing confidence in the individual review findings using standardized tools.

RESULTS

We synthesized 54 findings from 184 studies, revealing the impacts of these policies in children and adults on: (1) Family integrated care and patient and family-centered care (e.g., disruption to breastfeeding/kangaroo care, dehumanizing of patients); (2) Patients, families, and healthcare professionals (e.g., negative mental health consequences, moral distress); (3) Support systems (e.g., loss of support from friends/families); and (4) Relationships (e.g., loss of essential bonding with infant, struggle to develop trust). Strategies to mitigate these impacts are reported.

CONCLUSION

This review highlights the multifaceted impacts of restricted visitation policies across distinct care settings and strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of these policies and guide the creation of compassionate family presence policies in future health crises.

REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=290263 .

Agreement between Family Members and the Physician's View in the ICU Environment: Personal Experience as a Factor Influencing Attitudes towards Corresponding Hypothetical Situations

BACKGROUND

It is not known whether intensive care unit (ICU) patients' family members realistically assess patients' health status.

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to investigate the agreement between family and intensivists' assessment concerning changes in patient health, focusing on family members' resilience and their perceptions of decision making.

METHODS

For each ICU patient, withdrawal criteria were assessed by intensivists while family members assessed the patient's health development and completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale. Six months after ICU discharge, follow-up contact was established, and family members gave their responses to two hypothetical scenarios.

RESULTS

162 ICU patients and 189 family members were recruited. Intensivists' decisions about whether a patient met the withdrawal criteria had 75,9% accuracy for prediction of survival. Families' assessments were statistically independent of intensivists' opinions, and resilience had a significant positive effect on the probability of agreement with intensivists. Six months after discharge, family members whose relatives were still alive were significantly more likely to consider that the family or patient themselves should be involved in decision-making.

CONCLUSIONS

Resilience is related to an enhanced probability of agreement of the family with intensivists' perceptions of patients' health progression. Family attitudes in hypothetical scenarios were found to be significantly affected by the patient's actual health progression.

The lived experience by patients and family members of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the lived experience of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) by patients and their families, and their relationship with intensive care clinicians.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six patients who had received ECMO and with four of their family members. The data were analysed narratively using a constant comparative method.

SETTING

Patients were treated at a major acute care hospital in British Columbia between 2014 and 2021. ECMO was used either as a bridge to recovery or to organ transplant. Four had family members bedside throughout, while two had virtual visits due to COVID-19 infection control measures.

FINDINGS

ECMO was experienced through a triad of relationships between the patient, key family members and key clinicians. The strength, directionality and focus of these relationships shifted during therapy and realigned once ECMO was removed. The largest shift involved family members. Post-ECMO, patients relied almost entirely on spouses, adult children and clinical team members to reconstruct their experience. The connection between families and clinical team members was limited and changed little.

CONCLUSIONS

The lived experience of ECMO was complex in ways yet to be comprehensively reported in the literature. This technology had particular impact on family members when ECMO was used as a bridge to transplant and where run times extended to multiple weeks. COVID-19 infection control restrictions further complicated how this technology was experienced. Findings from this study highlight the importance of intensive care nurses recognising the critical role family members play as witnesses whose experiences later allow patients to make sense of their journey post-discharge.

Facilitating Virtual Visitation in Critical Care Units During a Pandemic

Presence of support persons enhances patient and family satisfaction. The introduction of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted hospital operations and has reduced visitation. A virtual visitation program was implemented in critical care units to replicate visitation by video chat to ease stress on patients and family members to improve communication.

The process of giving information to families in intensive care units: A narrative review

AIM

Information is one of the most important needs of families of critical patients. Healthcare professionals also identify the great value of communication with families to reduce their anxiety and stress. Despite this, families may feel inadequately informed, causing added suffering. The purpose of this study is to provide an understanding of both families' and healthcare professionals' perspectives on information giving within intensive care units (ICU).

METHOD

A narrative review was conducted using MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO databases and the Cochrane Library to identify studies published in either English or Spanish from 2002 to 2018.

RESULTS

47 studies were included, and five categories were identified: 1)"the need to know"; 2)family satisfaction with the information received; 3)impact of information on families' experiences in the ICU; 4)nurses and physicians' perceptions of information transmission, and 5)information process in the ICU.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing honest and truthful information to the families of critical patients is essential to reduce family anxiety and increase family control, although this often appears to be inadequately accomplished by staff. Interdisciplinary involvement in information giving may be beneficial for both families and ICU professionals. This review brings new understanding about the process of information to families of ICU patients and it can be used to improve the quality and humanization of care in the ICUs.

Validity and Reliability of a Thai Version of Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit Survey

Purpose

To examine reliability and validity of a Thai version of the Family Satisfaction with Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU 24) questionnaire and use this survey in intensive care units (ICUs) in Thailand.

Materials and methods

The standard English FS-ICU questionnaire was translated into the Thai language using translation and culture adaptation guidelines. After reliability and validity testing, we consecutively surveyed the satisfaction of family members of ICU patients over 1 year. Adult family members of patients admitted to medical or surgical ICUs for 48 hours or more who had visited the patients at least once during the ICU stay were included.

Results

In all, 315 (95%) of 332 surveys were returned from family members. Cronbach's α of the Thai FS-ICU 24 questionnaire was 0.95. Factor analysis demonstrated good construct validity. The mean (±SD) of total satisfaction score, overall ICU care subscale, and decision-making subscale were 81.5 ± 14.3, 81.0 ± 15.6, and 82.0 ± 14.0. Items with the lowest scores were the waiting room atmosphere and the frequency of doctors communicating with family members about the patient's condition. The mean total satisfaction score tended to be higher in family members of survivors than in family members of nonsurvivors (81.9 ± 13.8 vs 77.7 ± 16.2, p value = 0.059). The overall satisfaction scores between medial ICU and surgical ICU were not significantly different.

Conclusion

The Thai version of FS-ICU questionnaire was found to have acceptable reliability and validity in a Thai population and can be used to drive improvements in ICU care.

Trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.in.th, TCR20160603002

How to cite this article

Tajarernmuang P, Chittawatanarat K, Dodek P, Heyland DK, Chanayat P, Inchai J, et al. Validity and Reliability of a Thai Version of Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit Survey. Indian J Crit Care Med 2020;24(10):946–954.

An informative nursing intervention for families of patients admitted to the intensive care unit regarding the satisfaction of their needs: The INFOUCI study

AIM

To evaluate whether an informative intervention by nursing professionals through Short Message Service (SMS) improved patients' family members' satisfaction with the intensive care experience.

METHODS/DESIGN

This was an exploratory, two-armed, randomised, non-pharmacological, prospective study. The intervention consisted of providing information to the contact persons of patients admitted to the ICU of the University Hospital La Princesa (Madrid, Spain) through SMS based on the patient's nursing assessment. Nursing diagnoses established by NANDA and based on the Virginia Henderson model were used as a reference. The main result was the satisfaction levels of the contacts of patients admitted to the intensive care unit, which was evaluated with the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory.

RESULTS

The total score on the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was significantly better in the intervention group (16.6 ± 3.3 vs. 19.1 ± 4.7; p = 0.012) compared with the control group. All participants included in the intervention considered it useful to some degree. Even when the contact person received negative information, there was no demand for information outside established hours, which was included as a possible adverse effect of the intervention.

CONCLUSION

Support in the form of additional nursing information implied an increase in the satisfaction of the needs perceived by the contact persons of patients admitted to the intensive care unit, together with a better perception of the quality of intensive care unit care and a reassuring and beneficial effect.

Improving Health Care Provider Communication in End-of-Life Decision-Making

Critical care providers are responsible for many aspects of patient care, primarily focusing on preserving life. However, nearly 40% of patients who are admitted to an adult critical care unit will not survive. Initiating a conversation about end-of-life decision-making is a daunting task. Often, health care providers are not trained, experienced, or comfortable facilitating these conversations. This article describes a quality improvement project that identified current views on end-of-life communication in the intensive care unit and potential barriers that obstruct open discussion, and offering strategies for improvement.

Experiences and needs of families with a relative admitted to an adult intensive care unit: a qualitative systematic review protocol

REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE

The objective of the proposed review is to determine the best available qualitative evidence to guide healthcare workers when providing care and support for families of relatives in an adult intensive care unit (ICU). The specific objective is to explore the experiences and needs of families with a relative in an adult ICU.

Main information requests of family members of patients in Intensive Care Units

OBJECTIVE

To compile an inventory of information requests prioritized by the family members, to find out which professionals them consider able to respond these requests, and to explore the differences in perception between family members and professionals.

DESIGN

Qualitative analysis of content validation and descriptive cross-sectional study.

SCOPE

41 Spanish ICU.

PARTICIPANTS

Relatives, physicians and nurses of critical patients.

INTERVENTION

From an initial list of questions extracted from literature review, physicians, nurses, and relatives of critical patients incorporated issues that they considered not included. After analyzing content validity, a new list was obtained, which was again submitted to the participants' assessment to evaluate the level of importance that they assigned to each question and which professional they considered appropriate to answer it.

RESULTS

most important questions for the relatives: concern about the clinical situation, measures to be taken, prognosis and information. There was a coincidence between relatives and professionals in the priority issues for families. There were significant differences in the importance given to each question: between doctors and relatives (72/82 questions), and between nurses and relatives (66/82 questions) (P<.05). For the relatives, 63% of the questions could be answered by doctors or nurses, 27% preferably by doctors and 10% by nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

The most relevant issues for families were prognosis and severity, but also the need for information. Healthcare professionals tend to underestimate the importance of many of the questions that concern families. Relatives feel that most of their concerns can be resolved either by doctors or nurses.

Relating family satisfaction to the care provided in intensive care units: quality outcomes in Saudi accredited hospitals

Objectives

This study aims to identify the satisfaction levels of the family members of patients in intensive care units.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analytical study. General intensive care units offer a variety of services to clinical and surgical patients. For the purpose of this study, a trained interviewer communicated with the families of patients, either before or after visiting hours.

Results

The study included 208 participants: 119 (57.2%) males and 89 (42.8%) females. Seventy-three (35.1%) of the patients attended a private hospital, and 135 (64.9%) attended a public hospital in the city of Al Madinah Al- Munawarah. All of the participants were either family members or friends of patients admitted to the intensive care units at the hospitals. The responses of both groups yielded low scores on the satisfaction index. However, a relatively high score was noted in response to questions 2, 6, and 10, which concerned the care that was extended by the hospital staff to their patients, the courteous attitude of intensive care unit staff members towards patients, and patients' satisfaction with the medical care provided, respectively. A very low score was obtained for item 11, which was related to the possibility for improvements to the medical care that the patients received. Overall, greater satisfaction with the services offered by the public intensive care units was reported compared to the satisfaction with the services offered by the private intensive care units.

Conclusion

An overall low score on the satisfaction index was obtained, and further studies are recommended to assess the current situation and improve the satisfaction and quality of care provided by intensive care units.

Torn between dual roles: the experiences of nurse-family members when a loved one is hospitalised in a critical condition

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To understand and interpret the experiences of nurse-family members when a family member or loved one is hospitalised in a critical condition.

BACKGROUND

Having a family member hospitalised with a critical illness is a traumatic stressor, often with long-term sequelae. Providing holistic care for family members who are also nurses makes the provision of care more complex because of their professional expertise; yet few studies have explored this issue.

DESIGN

In this descriptive study, qualitative data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using van Manen's (Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy, 1990, State University of New York Press, London, ON) six-step approach.

METHODS

Twenty nurse-family members completed an online questionnaire in June 2013. Qualitative findings from 19 participants were included in the analysis. The phenomenological analysis approach described by van Manen (Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy, 1990, State University of New York Press, London, ON) was used to describe and interpret nurse-family member experiences.

RESULTS

Nurse-family members experience significant dual role conflicts between their personal and professional personas due to their specialised knowledge, need for watchfulness and competing expectations. Our findings describe how dual role conflicts developed and were managed, and reveal the resultant emotional toll and psychological distress as nurse-family members struggled to resolve these conflicts.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse-family members require a different type of care than general public family members, yet their unique needs are often unmet, leading to increased anxiety and distress that could potentially be minimised. An increased awareness and emphasis on the nurse-family member experience can ensure health care professionals are better placed to provide appropriate and targeted care to minimise distressing dual role conflicts.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

There is a need for targeted and specialised communication appropriate to each nurse-family members' needs and level of understanding, and to clarify expectations to ensure nurse-family members' professional knowledge and skills are recognised and respected without being exploited.

Intensive care patient and family satisfaction

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to measure family member satisfaction with the care provided in an Australian private intensive care unit (ICU) at two time points separated by two years. The study was part of a quality improvement process for ICU, and was designed with reference to the revised Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health care.

Design/methodology/approach

– This prospective study involved family members of patients admitted in ICU in February 2011 and February 2013. All patients admitted to during the study month were eligible. Questionnaire addressed staff competence, treatment of family, communication, environment and overall satisfaction, using a Likert scale. There was one free text question. The first survey was done by handing the survey package to the next of kin at the time of discharge while the second involved mailing a survey package within a week of discharge from ICU. Quantitative analysis was based on ten Likert items and qualitative analysis based on the free text question.

Findings

– The response rate was 53 percent (54/102) in 2013 (mailed) compared to 44 percent (44/100) in 2011 (hand delivered). The results from second (2013) survey showed statistically significant improvement in satisfaction associated with nursing and medical competency. Other areas with improvement were the relative’s waiting room and visiting hours. The area lacking improvement was ease of finding ICU the hospital. It confirmed that families were satisfied with the care provided and highlighted areas for improvement. The results indicated high satisfaction overall, especially with the hospital staff competency and the overall care quality their relative received. Though most responses also indicated satisfaction with communication and support services, these areas did not perform as well.

Originality/value

– This study provided a simple and effective mechanism to monitor consumer satisfaction with ICU.

Visita de Enfermagem e dúvidas manifestadas pela família em unidade de terapia intensiva

Objetivo : Conhecer as dúvidas dos familiares de pacientes internados na unidade de terapia intensiva, há mais de 24 horas, e manifestadas durante as visitas de enfermagem. Métodos : Estudo transversal prospectivo que incluiu 115 famíliares de pacientes internados há mais de 24 horas em unidade de terapia intensiva. O instrumento de pesquisa foi um questionário aplicado em três visitas de enfermagem. Resultados : A dúvida mais apresentada foi sobre o estado clínico e a diferença média entre as dúvidas da primeira e segunda visita foi estatisticamente significante (p=0,047). A média de dúvidas da primeira visita foi significante, quando comparada com a terceira (p<0,001). Conclusão : As dúvidas manifestadas por familiares foram sobre o estado de saúde, condições clínicas e sobre o cuidado realizado. O número médio de dúvidas foi menor na terceira visita de enfermagem.

A follow-up meeting post death is appreciated by family members of deceased patients

BACKGROUND

A practice with a follow-up meeting post death (FUMPD) with physician and staff for family members of patients who died in the intensive care unit (ICU) was started as a quality project to improve the support of families in post-ICU bereavement. A quality improvement control was conducted after 4 years.

METHOD

The quality improvement control was made retrospectively as an anonymous non-coded questionnaire. Part A related to the FUMPD. Part B inquired if we could contact the family member again for a research project to evaluate family support post-ICU bereavement. The questionnaires were sent to 84 family members of 56 deceased patients.

RESULTS

Part A: 46 out of 84 family members answered and had attended a FUMPD. Ninety-one percent of the family members thought that we should continue to offer FUMPD. Seventy-eight percent were satisfied with their meeting. Eighty percent felt that they understood the cause of death. The majority wanted the meeting to take place within 6 weeks of death. Ninety-one percent rated the physician as important to be present at the meeting. The social worker was rated more important to attend the meeting than the assistant nurse. Ninety-one percent wanted to discuss the cause of death.Part B: 54 out of 84 family members answered. Twenty out of 54 did not want us to contact them again.

CONCLUSION

A routine with a Follow-Up Meeting Post Death with the ICU team for the families of the patients who die in the ICU is appreciated. The presence of the physician is important.

Process of implementing collaborative care and its impacts on the provision of care and rehabilitation services to patients with a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury

Objective

The introduction of new services in a rehabilitation center is a unique opportunity to introduce a new model of care and services between two institutions. A hospital and a rehabilitation center experienced a clinical management model inspired by an American approach – collaborative care. The purpose of this study was to describe the implementation of this approach and to provide a perception of the quality of care and services provided to patients with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury and to their caregivers.

Materials and methods

In this qualitative study, individual semistructured interviews were conducted with patients and their caregivers in the hospital and rehabilitation center where the patients were treated. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with administrators, and two focus groups were held with clinicians before and after the implementation.

Results and conclusion

Ten days’ waiting time were saved with the collaborative approach. Implementing the collaborative care approach has been found to have several benefits, including improved communication, coordination of services between institutions, and better preparation, awareness, and involvement of patients and their families. Administrators, clinicians, patients, and caregivers expressed their opinions on the organization of care and services, the needs and expectations of patients and their caregivers, their participation in terms of roles and responsibilities, their perception of continuity of care, their satisfaction with the care process, and their suggestions for improvements.

Nursing strategies to support family members of ICU patients at high risk of dying

OBJECTIVES

To explore how family members of ICU patients at high risk of dying respond to nursing communication strategies.

BACKGROUND

Family members of ICU patients may face difficult decisions. Nurses are in a position to provide support. Evidence of specific strategies that nurses use to support decision-making and how family members respond to these strategies is lacking.

METHODS

This is a prospective, qualitative descriptive study involving the family members of ICU patients identified as being at high risk of dying.

RESULTS

Family members described five nursing approaches: Demonstrating concern, building rapport, demonstrating professionalism, providing factual information, and supporting decision-making. This study provides evidence that when using these approaches, nurses helped family members to cope; to have hope, confidence, and trust; to prepare for and accept impending death; and to make decisions.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge lays a foundation for interventions targeting the areas important to family members and most likely to improve their ability to make decisions and their well-being.

Prevalence and risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder in relatives of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients

AIM

Prognostic uncertainty and surrogate decision-making demands associated with prolonged unconsciousness in out-of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may increase post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) risk in their relatives. Our aim was to study PTSD frequency and risk factors in relatives of OHCA patients.

METHODS

In this observational study 101 consecutive eligible adult relatives of OHCA patients were interviewed using validated questionnaires, the "Impact of Event Scale-Revised" to detect PTSD and the "Family-Satisfaction with Care in the ICU" to assess potential PTSD risk factors.

RESULTS

PTSD was detected in 40/101 relatives (40%). Multivariate logistic regression identified three significant PTSD predictors [odds ratio, 95% confidence interval]: female gender [3.30, 1.08-10.11], history of depression [3.63, 1.02-12.96], family perception of the patient's therapy as insufficient [18.40, 1.52-224.22]. Three other predictors were not significantly associated with PTSD (hypothermia treatment of the patient [2.86, 0.96-8.48]), delayed delivery of prognostic information by ICU staff [2.11, 0.83-5.38], family-ICU staff conflict [3.61, 0.71-18.40]). A prediction rule including six factors (p<0.15 each) showed high discrimination (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.74) with a stepwise increase in risk for PTSD from 0% (no risk factor) to 63% (≥3 risk factors). There was no evidence for effect modification either by survival status or neurological outcome.

CONCLUSION

Relatives of OHCA patients treated in the ICU are at increased risk of PTSD, which can be predicted based on six factors, three ICU-related and potentially at least partly modifiable. Further research is needed to validate our findings and to develop strategies to prevent PTSD in OHCA patients' relatives.

Qualitative systematic review: the unique experiences of the nurse-family member when a loved one is admitted with a critical illness

AIM

To interpret and synthesize nurse-family member experiences when a critically ill loved one is admitted to hospital.

BACKGROUND

Having a family member hospitalized in a critical condition is an important stressor. When the family member is also a nurse, the provision of care is more complex, yet little research exists on this issue.

DESIGN

Systematic review using Thomas and Harden's approach to thematic synthesis of qualitative research.

DATA SOURCES

Primary studies were located by searching CINAHL, Proquest, Journals@Ovid, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. No date restrictions were applied due to a lack of relevant literature. All studies that met inclusion criteria were retrieved (n = 1717) and seven met the review aim.

REVIEW METHODS

Following critical appraisal, seven studies from 1999-2011 describing the nurse-family member's experience were reviewed and synthesized.

RESULTS

Six characteristics of the nurse-family member experience were identified: specialized knowledge; dual-role conflicts; competing expectations; building relationships; being 'let in'; and healthcare setting.

CONCLUSION

Nurse-family members experience important stressors that can negatively affect their psychological health and experience as a healthcare consumer. Nurse-family members want a different type of care than other healthcare consumers. Acknowledging nurse-family members' specialized knowledge and dual role, keeping them fully informed and allowing them to be with the patient and feel in control can reduce their fear and anxiety. Further research is needed to develop a deeper understanding of the unique experiences, challenges and needs of nurse-family members to provide them with an enhanced level of care.

Coping with the effects of myocardial infarction from the viewpoint of patients' spouses

The spouse of a patient who has experienced a myocardial infarction (MI) reportedly has psychological and social needs and challenges during the patient's hospitalization but there is a lack of knowledge regarding spouses' coping experiences and resources. The aim of this study was to develop a substantive theory to help explain the coping experiences of the spouse during the patient's hospitalization following an acute MI. Twenty eight spouses of patients in two Finnish hospitals participated in an open-ended interview within 2 to 5 days of the MI and included 12 husbands and 16 wives. The core category "Seeking balance" included the spouses' emotional, cognitive, and social coping experiences following an acute MI. This study adds new information about spouses' coping experiences as well as tensions and problems in interaction between the patient and the spouse. Challenges were reported in talking about serious illness concerns between the spouse and patient and also with other family members.

[Limiting and facilitating factors of changes in the care of families of the critically ill patient]

INTRODUCTION

Participatory action research (PAR) was conducted in an intensive care unit (UCI), with the general purpose of fostering change in clinical practice so as to improve the care offered to families of critically ill patients. As a result of this process, four change-related initiatives were introduced. One specific additional objective was to explore how the unit's background context limited or facilitated change. This paper presents findings based on this objective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Qualitative methodology.

DESIGN

Participatory-action research (PAR). DATA GATHERING TECHNIQUES: 11 discussion groups incorporating professionals, 5 in-depth interviews with professionals, field diaries kept by the participants, and field diary kept by the lead researcher. Eleven professionals took part in the discussion groups (each one conveyed information made known to them by 3-5 colleagues), 5 professionals were involved in the interviews, and 11 professionals filled in a field diary. A content analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Factors limiting change included: 1) Not acknowledging the legitimacy of scientific evidence regarding the families of critically ill patients; 2) Imbalanced power relationships among the members of multi-disciplinary teams; 3) Nurses' lack of involvement in information flow; 4) The organization of time and physical space in the unit. Factors facilitating change: 1) A sense of individual and shared commitment; 2) Leadership in day-to-day matters; 3) A process based on reflection.

CONCLUSIONS

A process of participatory action research can lead to change in clinical practice, although this is complex and requires substantial input in terms of personal energy. Contextual factors limiting this change are related to the actual structure of the unit, while factors facilitating it are circumstantial ones and are dependent upon individual people. In this sense, professionals working at the bedside are capable of introducing changes to the context in which they work.

Satisfaction with communication in ICU patients and relatives: comparisons with medical staffs' expectations and the relationship with psychological distress

OBJECTIVE

To study intensive care unit (ICU) patients' and relatives' satisfaction in regard to communication with medical staff (nurses and physicians), perceived support, environmental strain and their psychological distress. Further, to compare this with expectations of the medical staff.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study, 4-6 weeks post-ICU discharge. Respondents to the questionnaire were: 255 (63%) patients, 354 (82%) relatives and 145 (74%) medical staff. Degree of satisfaction and distress were measured on a five-point Likert-scale (0=low to 4=high).

RESULTS

The mean score for patient satisfaction with communication was 3.0 (95%CI 2.9-3.1) and for relatives 3.4 (3.3-3.5). This was significantly higher than expected by the staff for patients 2.5 (2.4-2.6) and relatives 2.8 (2.7-2.9), both p<0.001. Relatives' degree of psychological distress, 2.5 (2.4-2.6) was significantly higher than for patients', 1.6 (1.5-1.7), but was significantly lower than expected by the staff, 2.9 (2.8-3.0) and 2.7 (2.6-2.8) respectively, both p<0.001.

CONCLUSION

Patients and relatives were more satisfied with the communication than expected by the staff. The staff overestimated the patients' and relatives' psychological distress. Relatives report more psychological distress symptoms post-ICU discharge compared to the patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Medical staff is aware of psychological distress in ICU patients and relatives and effort to reduce this during ICU stay and afterwards should be implemented.

[Needs of the family in the intensive care units: a review of the literature]

Admission to the Intensive Care Units (ICU) is perceived by both patients and their family as a stressful experience. This situation can cause shock, skepticism and anxiety in the patient's setting.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze and present the needs of the family members of the critical patient.

METHODOLOGY

A review was made of the literature in the following data bases: Pubmed, CINAHL, Cuiden and Cochrane Library. Furthermore, three journals specialized in Intensive Cares were reviewed.

RESULTS

After including the articles that met the screening criteria, 30 articles were finally selected. Of these, 11 were reviews of the literature, 7 qualitative studies and 12 more were quantitative investigations. Four groups of needs in the families were identified after the analysis of these articles, these being cognitive, emotional, social and practical.

DISCUSSION

One of the main needs of the family is to receive better information from the professionals followed by the need for closeness with the ill family member. This review proposes that, in order to cover these needs, the information should be protocolized and the visiting hours should be made flexible. Furthermore, incorporation of two familial evaluation tools, the genogram and ecomap, is proposed.

CONCLUSIONS

This work has revealed the importance of having the Intensive Care nurses identify the needs of the family during the admission of the patient in the ICU in order to be able to provide help, support and counseling care that relieves the suffering of the families.

The bodily presence of significant others: Intensive care patients' experiences in a situation of critical illness

This study is about intensive care patients and the bodily presence of significant others. The aim of the study is to inquire and understand the patients experience of the body in relation to their significant others during critical illness. Open, unstructured, in-depth interviews with six former intensive care patients provide the data for the study. The phenomenological-hermeneutical analysis points to a theme among ICU patients' experience of conflict between proximity and distance during the bodily presence of their relations. Patients experience different and conflicting forms of responses to the presence of their significant others. Patients experience significant positive confirmation but also negation through this presence. In the ICU situation, the reactions of significant others appear difficult to deal with, yet the physical presence is significant for establishing a sense of affinity. Patients seek to take some responsibility for themselves as well as for their relatives, and are met with a whole spectrum of reactions. Intensive care patients experience the need to be actively, physically present, which often creates sharp opposition between their personal needs and the needs of their significant others for active participation.

The essence of the family critical illness experience and nurse-family meetings

Nursing care of families is essential to strong family support and maintenance of family health during a critical illness. Secondary data analysis of interviews conducted with 11 families with a family member in the intensive care unit revealed two essences: the family critical illness experience and the family vision for the kind of care families required and desired from nurses. The purpose of this article was to explicate the essence of these phenomena and their implications for family nursing practice. Findings affirm the need for a family intervention described in the literature, that of regularly scheduled nurse-family meetings. Although developed for work with families experiencing a chronic illness, bringing families together and inviting meaningful conversation about their experiences is appropriate for families experiencing critical illness. Nurse-family meetings acknowledge suffering and vulnerability of families when a loved one is critically ill and afford families an opportunity for honest sensitive communication with nurses.

[Improving the care of critical patient family members: Agreed on strategies]

INTRODUCTION

Within the context of participatory action research (PAR), a 4-stage process was established with the general aim of promoting improvements in the care offered to families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The 4 stages consisted of a situational diagnosis, proposals for change, the design and implementation of the proposals, and an evaluation. This paper presents the first 2 stages.

OBJECTIVES

To define the attention given to families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit. To reach a consensus on areas for action/intervention in the unit.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

A qualitative methodology.

DESIGN

PAR. Data-collection technique: 4 focus groups made up of 10 professionals, and consensus with support groups made up of 30 members. Content analysis was performed. The theoretical saturation point was reached.

RESULTS

Two documents were drawn up: 1) A situational diagnosis, describing the current situation of the attention given to families and 2) 10 proposals for change, 5 of which were given priority. They were: a session to familiarize professionals with evidence concerning families of patients in the ICU and the handing out of informative leaflets, the improvement of (nurse-family and intra-team) informative procedures, more privacy for patients and a reduction in environmental noise, a training plan for professionals, and change in the visiting policy.

CONCLUSION

By using consensus-based methodologies, strategies for change can be prioritized and designed, adapted to the context in which they will be applied.

[Development of an attention guideline for the critical patient's family]

INTRODUCTION

Within the context of participatory action research (PAR) at an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 4 proposals for change were agreed by consensus to improve the attention given to families of critical patients. One proposal was the creation of a guideline for attending to family members, inspired by the participants' desire to improve the attention given to this group of users.

OBJECTIVES

1) To design a guide that would meet the needs of professionals and users. 2) To reach an agreement on the minimum requirements for attention given to families of critical patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Qualitative methodology, based on PAR. For each of the initiatives, a working group was created, composed mainly of professionals from the ICU coordinated by a researcher. In the case of the guide, an online community was also created as a working tool to speed up communications among the participants, reducing the number of face-to-face sessions. Participation was voluntary. To draft the guideline, a Clinical Practice Guideline for support the family was made available, which had been translated into Spanish, together with an up-to-date bibliography.

RESULTS

Twenty four professionals were involved. We developed a guide that contained the following sections: introduction, objectives, the experiences and needs of families of patients in the ICU, strategies for action, specific procedures, and hospital resources. We designed strategies for the diffusion and implementation of the guide.

CONCLUSIONS

The guide is a useful tool that offers the professionals greater assurances and unifying criteria for action. During subsequent stages of the PAR project, an assessment will be made of the impact on professionals and users.

Impact of chronic critical illness on the psychological outcomes of family members

The uncertain trajectory of chronic critical illness exposes the patient's family to heightened levels of psychological distress. Symptoms of psychological distress affect more than half of family members exposed to the patient's chronic critical illness. Although symptoms often dissipate over time, a significant proportion of family members will remain at moderate to high risk for psychological distress well after the patient's death or discharge from the intensive care unit. Family members of chronically critically ill patients are often involved in the decision making for the patients. Irrational or uninformed decision making can occur when family members experience high levels of psychological distress. Attention to the psychological needs and provision of support to family members enhance the formulation of treatment decisions consistent with the patient's preferences and mitigate unnecessary resource use. In this article, the impact of chronic critical illness on family members' risk for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder is described and a review of evidence-based strategies to support the psychological needs of family members coping with a patient's chronic critical illness is provided.

Empowerment from the perspective of next of kin in intensive care

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To describe next of kin empowerment in an intensive care situation. Background. Next of kin is important in reducing intensive care patients' fear and anxiety. However, admission to an intensive care unit is often recognised as an extremely stressful event, causing next of kin to experience shock, fear, anxiety and vulnerability. More knowledge is needed about how next of kin in intensive care can be empowered.

DESIGN

The study was conducted using a phenomenological method.

METHODS

Ten interviews were conducted with intensive care patients' next of kin.

FINDINGS

Perceptions of both a genuine will and a capacity to help and relieve were found to be essential for next of kin's experiences of empowerment in an intensive care situation. All informants were empowered by a caring atmosphere where they received continuous, straightforward and honest information that left room for hope and in which closeness to the patient was facilitated and medical care was perceived as the best possible. Some of the informants were also strengthened by support from other family members and/or by being involved in caring for the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

Next of kin empowerment was found to be associated with being met with human warmth and sensitivity. This emphasises the importance of discussing attitudes and behaviours as well as surveillance and treatment when trying to improve the care of next of kin in intensive care unit and when working with staff development.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Knowledge of how to empower next of kin in an intensive care situation allows caring staff to support these persons in a more sensitive and appropriate way. Findings underline the importance of creating caring relations with patients' next of kin.

The meaning of family members' presence during intensive care stay: a qualitative study

The aim of this study was to investigate what the presence of family members meant to patients in intensive care units. The study employed a qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. Eleven intensive care patients were interviewed at a university hospital in Norway. The results of the study indicated that the patients desired some limitation of visitors' presence and preferred visits only from those who were closest in daily life. Visits had a variety of functions for intensive care patients, including promoting support for patients and families. However, visits also caused stress for patients and worries about creating stress for family members. The patients' requirements for information differed. The findings suggest that information to the families is important for the patients need for reality orientation. Visits in intensive care units and information to the families have mutual importance for the patients and their families. The study supports prior claims that flexible visiting routines are challenging for ICU nurses. A dialogue with the families is recommended in order to find a balance between the social support and the stress caused by visits. This puts the families in a better position to give support to the patients during recovery.

Excellence in nursing: a model for implementing Family Systems Nursing in nursing practice at an institutional level in Iceland

An innovative opportunity is being created by nursing leaders from practice and education in Iceland to implement Family Systems Nursing at an institutional level on all units and divisions with the Landspitali University Hospital. This article describes the phases of the implementation model for knowledge translation that will be operationalized over four years. The goals of implementing Family Systems Nursing at the Landspitali University Hospital are to (a) educate all practicing nurses in Family Systems Nursing and, in particular, the Calgary family assessment and intervention models; (b) strengthen practicing nurses' clinical skills for intervening with families by offering specific clinical training courses to all nurses using family skills labs; and (c) explore and assess the difference that the theoretical and clinical programs make for the nurses, the patients and their families, and the nurses' practice (the family-nurse relationship).

Short- and long-term impact of critical illness on relatives: literature review

AIM

This paper is a report of a literature review undertaken to identify the short- and long-term impact of critical illness on relatives.

BACKGROUND

Patients in intensive care can experience physical and psychological consequences, and their relatives may also experience such effects. Although it is recognized that relatives have specific needs, it is not clear whether these needs are always met and whether further support is required, particularly after intensive care.

DATA SOURCES

The following databases were searched for the period 1950-2007: Medline, British Nursing Index and Archive, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and EMB Reviews--Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials.

SEARCH METHODS

Search terms focused on adult relatives of critically ill adult patients during and after intensive care. Recurrent topics were categorized to structure the review, i.e. 'relatives needs', 'meeting relatives' needs', 'interventions', 'satisfaction', 'psychological outcomes' and 'coping'.

RESULTS

Studies have mainly identified relatives' immediate needs using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory. There are few studies of interventions to meet relatives' needs and the short- and long-term effects of critical illness on relatives.

CONCLUSION

Despite widespread use of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory, factors such as local or cultural differences may influence relatives' needs. Relatives may also have unidentified needs, and these needs should be explored. Limited research has been carried out into interventions to meet relatives' needs and the effects of critical illness on their well-being, yet some relatives may experience negative psychological consequences far beyond the acute phase of the illness.

Nursing support for family members of critically ill adults

Researchers have identified the needs of family members of critically ill adults, explored their experiences, and investigated interventions. To address a gap in the theoretical knowledge about how nurses help these individuals, the authors developed a grounded theory of nursing support from the perspective of family members. Results indicated that family members were initiated into a cycle of Work to meet perceived responsibilities to Get Through the experience. Supportive nurses engaged in the process of Lightening Our Load to mitigate the negative effects of the critical care experience on family members by Engaging With Us, Sustaining Us, and Disengaging From Us. No previous research has yet identified the Work of these family members, the steps they take to gain nurses' respect, and the significance to them of nurses' Welcoming us and Saying goodbye. This theory extends the understanding of nursing support beyond current knowledge of family needs, caring, comfort, supportive care, and social support.