Patient advocacy in valuing social and family being in times of COVID-19

Abstract

Objective to understand the strategies used by intensive care nurses in the face of situations that required patient advocacy, involving the appreciation of social and family being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method this is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, carried out in the five regions of Brazil. A total of 25 intensive care nurses participated in the study. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview and subsequently subjected to discursive textual analysis. Results nurses advocated before the health team and for the family’s presence within the Intensive Care Unit. With the COVID-19 pandemic, new strategies were established to advocate, promoting virtual rapprochement between nurses, patients and family members as well as the permanence of family members in intensive care environments when necessary so that nurses could know patients better and integrate the family into care. Conclusion and implications for practice the strategies used to act on behalf of patients were carried out for rapprochement between nurses and family members; for instructing family members to advocate for patients; and for the defense of family presence within the Intensive Care Unit.