The Experiences of Family Members During the Critical Illness of a Loved One Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Family members with a loved one in the intensive care unit are faced with a large amount of stress and anxiety invoked by the admission to the unit known for its high mortality rate. This influences the physical and mental health of family members and often overwhelms the family’s coping abilities.The objective of the study was to explore the experiences of family members during critical illness. Using a grounded theory approach, a total of nine family members participated in the study. In-depth individual interviews were used to collect data with sampling starting off with convenience sampling, which progressed to theoretical sampling. Data analysis included open and axial coding. Family members’ experiences were categorised as emotional turmoil, interrupted physical functioning and stress and crisis. Although the findings of this study were confined to the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and are not generalisable for the whole population of family members with a loved one in an intensive care unit, the similarities in the experiences are consistent with the experiences of studies done internationally. This study reiterates that a critical illness is indeed a stressful event in the lives of family members. This study recommends that more family research is needed in the discipline of critical care to find ways to improve the care provided to family members. In addition critical care nurses should be aware of the importance of conducting a family needs assessment during the care of the critically ill patient.