The meaning and importance of vigilant attendance for the relatives of intensive care unit patients

Abstract

Changes in visiting policies in Greece are needed to meet the needs of relatives adequately. Recommendations for changes with minimal investment of time and funding are made.

Open visitation and nurse job satisfaction: An integrative review

“…Nursing variations from shift to shift causes frustration among patients, families and staff (Athanasiou et al., ; Riley et al., ). Nurses also reported inadequate staffing as a barrier to open visitation (Plakas et al., ; Athanasiou et al., ). Athanasiou et al.…”

Barriers to regaining control within a constructivist grounded theory of family resilience in ICU: Living with uncertainty

“…This meant families spent most of their time at the hospital visiting their relative. It is widely recognised that families need to be close to their critically ill relative (McKiernan & McCarthy, ; Plakas, Taket, Cant, Fouka, & Vardaki, ). Therefore, in most cases it was more convenient for families to be interviewed on the hospital site.…”

Empowering the "Cheerers": Role of Surgical Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Enhancing Family Resilience

“…22 Building on the literature and the role of critical care nurses as a major resource for families, in this qualitative study, we explored how SICU nurses perceived the experiences of long-stay SICU patients and their families in order to provide insights on how SICU nurses may better cultivate family resilience. Families of long-stay patients were chosen because these families may more easily become exhausted after several days of seeking to provide what Plakas and colleagues 23 refer to as vigilant attendance.…”