Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experience of Patients After Major Cardiac Surgery in Intensive Care Units.
Caterina Mercuri, Vincenzo Bosco, Assunta Guillari and 5 others
PMID 40776858WHAT IT FOUND
ICU patients after cardiac surgery feared not waking up, described foggy awakening, endless time, and feeling invisible during conversations.
They valued nurses who anticipated needs, but wanted to be included in care decisions.
Key findings
01All participants described fear and worry about cardiac surgery that persisted from diagnosis through the operating room and early recovery, and it was reported after both elective and emergency surgery.
02Participants consistently highlighted nurses' emotional and physical support, describing nurses as present and anticipatory.
03Many patients felt excluded from clinical conversations and wanted to be acknowledged as active participants in their own care.
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 qualitative study, so it reports themes from what patients said, not effects of a treatment or communication change. All participants came from one cardiothoracic ICU in Southern Italy, so the experiences may not transfer to other hospitals or countries. The paper gives conflicting interview timing: inclusion required discharge at least 15 days before, but methods say interviews occurred within 15 days of discharge. Interviews were after discharge, so recall of ICU fear, confusion, and time distortion may be shaped by later recovery. The study did not test whether nurses' support, orientation, or including patients in conversations improved outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not report funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that nurse-led communication or environmental changes reduce ICU distress. The study only asked 20 patients to describe past experiences and did not test any intervention.