An integrative literature review on patient and family centred care in adult intensive care units
Date
2015-04-23
Authors
Parsons, Shannon
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Abstract
Patients admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) face severe medical emergencies that are associated with complex interventions and high mortality rates (Angus et al., 2004). As patient acuity increases, the patient’s ability to interact with health care providers often declines as patients face intubation, mechanical ventilation, sedation, and other interventions and medical circumstances that limit communication. With a patient’s limited ability to communicate needs and wishes, health care providers increasingly depend upon family members to make difficult decisions. Nurses are often in the best position to act as liaisons between patients and their families as families are faced with making treatment decisions for their family members who are receiving care in the ICU.
My purpose, in this project, was to locate the most evidence informed methods for
integrating patient and family centred care in adult ICU’s. An integrative literature
review was completed to determine recommendations for nursing practice for family
inclusion in the ICU. My analysis revealed four themes; consultation, collaboration,
presence, and communication. These themes, derived from the literature review, were
then considered from a relational inquiry perspective and recommendations were
formulated for best practice nursing in adult ICU’s.
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Keywords
Patient and Family Centred Care, ICU, Integrative Literature Review