The lived experiences of family members who visit their relatives in Covid-19 intensive care unit for the first time: A phenomenological study.
Davide Bartoli, Francesca Trotta, Gianluca Pucciarelli and 5 others
PMID 35344685WHAT IT FOUND
Family members described their first COVID-ICU visit as frightening during PPE donning and doffing, yet also as a moment of relief, joy, and gratitude toward staff.
Key findings
01Family members reported fear related to donning and doffing PPE, including worry about breathing and contagion after leaving the ICU.
02Family members described positive emotions, including relief, when first seeing their relative.
03Family members were concerned about their relative's emotional state, including feeling alone and seeing other patients die.
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 done at a single hospital in a single Italian region, so it may not apply elsewhere. Only 12 relatives were interviewed. Most participants were women, which the authors said may make the view less representative. Interviews were by video call, which limited notes on environment and body language. Interviews happened hours or a day after the visit, not immediately. The study could not separate experiences by patient ventilation or sedation status. People over 70 and those with psychological, cardiological, or pulmonary disease were excluded from visits. Qualitative interviews describe experiences; they cannot show that visits cause reduced anxiety or other outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that ICU visits reduce anxiety or improve family outcomes. It interviewed 12 relatives about experiences during a visit that also involved PPE training, so it cannot show a treatment effect for any single component.