'Being an Outsider' and 'Being an Insider': A Focused Ethnography of Family Members' Visitation Experiences in an Adult ICU.
Lian Zhu, Susanne Kean, Catherine Clarissa and 1 others
PMID 41178838WHAT IT FOUND
In a Chinese adult ICU with brief daily visits, families described being kept outside as powerless and uninformed.
They made the waiting area a shared support space, using a designated visitor to bring back condition updates.
Key findings
01Families described a 30-minute daily visit and one allowed visitor, along with a locked entrance door, as separating them from the patient and leaving them powerless.
02Their information needs were often unmet, so families used the designated bedside visit to observe the patient and gather updates from staff.
03The waiting area became a supportive space for families, although witnessing other families' crises could also intensify distress.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It was done in a Chinese adult ICU, so the experiences may not fit other hospitals or countries. It took place during the pandemic, when extra restrictions such as limiting visitors were added, so the findings may be time-specific. Families of end-of-life patients were excluded, so it does not cover those visitation experiences. It is qualitative, so it describes meanings and not the effect of changing visitation policy.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this as proof that changing visitation policy improves patient outcomes. It describes family members' experiences in a Chinese ICU and does not test a policy change.