Family engagement in the care of infectious patients in intensive care units: A hybrid concept analysis.
Mohsen Soleimani, Ali Fakhr-Movahedi, Sajad Yarahmadi
PMID 38429918WHAT IT FOUND
Family engagement in infectious ICU care was described as nurse-led delegation, virtual or physical presence, protective education, and shared decisions.
Participants reported families helped with repositioning, mobility, and home-care learning, but also described infection and comfort risks.
Key findings
01The final analysis described family engagement as nurse-patient-family interaction, physical or virtual presence, education, delegation, and decision-making.
02Participants reported families helped with bedside tasks that were not done, including repositioning and stretching when physiotherapy time was limited.
03The analysis identified negative consequences including family exposure to infection, disease spread, inadequate family comfort, and nurses feeling monitored.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a concept analysis, not a trial or intervention study, so it cannot show whether family engagement helps patients. Fieldwork involved only eight participants at one hospital in Iran, and five were nurses, so the themes may not transfer to other ICU cultures. Purposive sampling and a small interview set mean participants may not represent all families, patients, or nurses. The literature review included only English and Persian sources and excluded non-English literature, so it may miss relevant work. The pandemic changed clinical culture and policies, which could affect how family engagement was understood.
Declared interests
No specific grant from government, private, or nonprofit organisations was reported, and the authors declared no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that family engagement improves ICU safety or recovery. It is a concept analysis from interviews and literature, not a trial, so it reports themes and perceived risks, not tested effects.