Family functioning of families experiencing intensive care and the specific impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A grounded theory study.
Mona Ahlberg, Carina Berterö, Susanna Ågren
PMID 36731264WHAT IT FOUND
Families of ICU patients during the pandemic described sudden shifts in priorities, with togetherness becoming the main focus.
They valued mutual consideration and relied on telephone updates from physicians to manage anxiety. The unpredictable nature of the illness forced families to adapt their roles and communicate openly about existential fears.
Key findings
01Families reported that the sudden severity of illness shifted their priorities to togetherness, leading them to communicate more openly about existential issues and life meaning.
02Family members experienced anxiety and insecurity, which they managed by relying on information from physicians and sharing it with the wider family network.
03The concept of 'value considerateness' emerged, where families appreciated the unselfish willingness of members to care for the patient, even at personal cost.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included a small number of families (8), which limits the generalizability of the findings. Participants were exclusively from Sweden, and no families of foreign origin were included, potentially missing cultural variations in family functioning. The time since ICU discharge varied widely (28 to 392 days), which may influence how memories and current coping strategies are reported. The study was conducted during the pandemic, so the findings may reflect the specific stressors of that time rather than typical ICU family experiences.
Declared interests
The study was supported by a grant from the Health Research Council in the Southeast of Sweden. The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these themes as evidence that specific nursing interventions improve family outcomes. The study describes how families coped and what they valued, but it did not test any treatment or intervention.