Navigating the trauma-The experiences of significant others supporting patients with severe burn injury: A narrative inquiry.
Elizabeth Flannery, Gillian Murphy, Kath Peters and 2 others
PMID 39180738WHAT IT FOUND
Significant others of severe burn patients felt compelled to act despite shock, sought control through monitors, and isolated themselves to protect family from trauma.
This 'bubble of trauma' left them without support, while declining counselling.
Key findings
01Participants felt compelled to act urgently despite experiencing shock, numbness, and confusion, often driven by a sense of responsibility placed on them by healthcare workers.
02Significant others sought solace in familiar ICU elements, such as monitoring vital signs, to regain a sense of control amidst the chaos.
03Participants adopted a 'proxy guardian' role, limiting information shared with family to protect them from trauma, which inadvertently isolated the significant others from their usual support networks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning visiting restrictions and communication methods (phone/video) heavily influenced the participants' experiences and may not reflect typical ICU conditions. Participants were recruited from only two hospitals in New South Wales, which may limit the transferability of findings to other regions or healthcare systems. Most interviews (14 of 17) were conducted over the telephone, preventing the researcher from observing non-verbal cues. All participants declined professional counselling, which may limit the generalisability of findings regarding support-seeking behaviour in this specific group.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' isolation from family support as a personal preference for solitude. The study indicates this was a protective strategy ('proxy guardian' role) adopted to shield others from trauma, which inadvertently increased the significant others' own risk of psychological sequelae.