Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 250-257, October 2009

Family adaptation in relation to a family member's stay in ICU

  • Ing-Mari K. Söderström

      Affiliations

    • School of Human Sciences, Kalmar University, Kalmar, Sweden
    • Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
    • Tel.: +46 480 446966; fax: +46 480 446955.
    • ,
  • Britt-Inger Saveman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +46 70 6406200/+46 90 7869235; fax: +46 90 7869169.
    • ,
  • Margaretha S. Hagberg

      Affiliations

    • School of Human Sciences, Kalmar University, Kalmar, Sweden
    • Tel.: +46 480 446972; fax: +46 480 446955.
    • ,
  • Eva G. Benzein

      Affiliations

    • School of Human Sciences, Kalmar University, Kalmar, Sweden
    • Department of Palliative Care Research, Ersta Sköndal University College, Stockholm, Sweden
    • Tel.: +46 480 446975/+46 70 5251370; fax: +46 480 446955.

Received 22 December 2008; received in revised form 19 May 2009; accepted 21 June 2009.

Summary 

Objectives

To describe and interpret the family adaptation during the ICU hospitalisation and up to 18 months after discharge.

Research methodology/design

A qualitative design was chosen.

Main outcome measures

Individual and family interviews with eight families including 31 family members. A hermeneutical analysis was performed and paradigm cases were constructed.

Results

The result is presented in three themes: striving for endurance, striving for consolation and striving to rebuild life under new conditions. The family adaptation started at the onset of the critical incident and continued during the ICU stay and after discharge. The family members metaphorically went through peaks and valleys during the whole process of adaptation.

Conclusion

Adaptation is an issue for the whole family and is facilitated by being able to stay close to the patient and receive supportive unambiguous information from the staff both during the ICU stay and after discharge.

Keywords: Adaptation, Family, Family interview, Intensive care

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PII: S0964-3397(09)00062-7

doi:10.1016/j.iccn.2009.06.006

Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 5 , Pages 250-257, October 2009

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