Family Needs of Patients Admitted to the Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Background and aims: Organizational support of family members of the patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) potentially reduces mental stresses and enables them to better comply with and support the patients. The current study aimed at evaluating the needs of families of the patients admitted to ICUs in teaching hospitals of Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 using convenience sampling method. The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) in 5 factors was used as a main data collection tool. The study population included 235 family members of the patients. Results: Total score of CCFNI was 132.32±18.46. Needs of family members of ICU patients decreased 0.428 times following the increase of length of stay in ICU (P<0.001). Moreover, the need for supportive cares was significantly 9.273 times lower among illiterate families, compared with the ones with higher education level (P<0.018). Conclusion: Considering that the highest need was in the area of support and the predictors of the family needs of the patients were the duration of hospitalization and the educational status of their families, the main focus of nurses should be on the support of family members of the patients admitted to the ICU and supporting and paying attention to their needs, who experience stressful conditions, to satisfy them and even to encourage them to give better care to the patient and help health care staff.

Humanistic Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study

“…Unlike the present study, other studies emphasized that health is based on a patient-centered and family-centered system [24,25]. [27]. Other studies also indicated that families needed participation, and their presence was not only a nuisance but also useful and effective [20[28].…”

A comparative study of the perceptions of family members patients hospitalized in intensive and cardiac care units (CCU and ICU) in regard to the importance of family needs in Golestan University of Medical Sciences 2020

“…(2018)[ 7 ] in Brazil and Hasandoost et al . (2018)[ 18 ] stated that the greatest need was for the support dimension. The probable reason for this difference is due to the cultural differences and the research community of the companions.…”

“…(2018). [ 18 ] In the study by Hasandoost, it was shown that the score of the dimensions of the need of people with a lower level of education is lower.…”

“…[ 28 ] Contrary to the findings of the present study, Hasandoost et al . [ 18 ] showed that the importance of the needs of family members with patients admitted to the ward (ICU) in terms of comfort had a statistically significant relationship with their income status. The differences in the research community can be one of the possible causes of these differences in findings.…”

Humanistic Care in the Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Study

“…Spreen et al explained the principles and standards of visiting in the intensive care unit, stating that the "open visit" policy was an urgent need for patients and families in the intensive care unit. Clinical guidelines in many countries recommend open care policy in the intensive care unit in line with family-centered care [28,29]. Other studies also indicated that families needed participation, and their presence was not only a nuisance but also useful and effective [30,31].…”