Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul-Aug:54:49-55.
doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2022.03.012. Epub 2022 Mar 21.

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  1 , Francesca Trotta  2 , Gianluca Pucciarelli  3 , Silvio Simeone  4 , Rosa Miccolis  5 , Carmen Cappitella  6 , Daniele Rotoli  7 , Monica Rocco  8
Affiliations

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 et al. Heart Lung. 2022 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 patient experiences in the intensive care unit (ICU) are marked by family separation. Families understand the importance of isolation and hospital visiting policies, but they consider it necessary to visit their loved ones and use personal protective equipment.

Objective: To describe the lived experiences of family members in their first contact with a relative in a COVID-ICU.

Methods: A phenomenological study was conducted using Cohen's method. The subjects were interviewed using an open-question format to allow them full freedom of expression. Twelve family members were recruited between February and March 2021.

Results: Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in five major themes: (1) fear of contagion related to donning/doffing procedures, (2) positive emotions related to first contact with the hospitalized relative, (3) concern for the emotional state of the hospitalized relative, (4) impact of the COVID-ICU and comparisons between imagination and reality regarding the severity of the disease, and (5) recognition of and gratitude toward healthcare professionals.

Conclusions: It has been confirmed that visits to the ICU reduce anxiety among family members. Our findings constitute an internationally relevant contribution to understanding of the needs of relatives who meet loved ones for the first time while wearing personal protective equipment.

Keywords: COVID-19; Donning/Doffing Procedures; Experience; Family Care; ICU Visitation Policies; Qualitative Research.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Five themes emerged from the interviews. Themes that emerged from family members in the first visit to COVID-ICU: 1. Fear Of Contagion 2. Positive Emotions 3. Gratitude Towards Healthcare Workers 4. The Impact Of Covid-ICU 5.Concern About What Your Hospitalized Relative May See.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. WHO. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard. 2021.
    1. Wu Z., McGoogan J.M. Characteristics of and Important Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in China: summary of a Report of 72314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA. 2020;323:1239–1242. - PubMed
    1. Hajjar L.A., Costa I., Rizk S.I. Intensive care management of patients with COVID-19: a practical approach. Ann Intens Care. 2021;11:36. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ingram R., Kautz D.D. When the patient and family just do not get it: overcoming low health literacy in critical care. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2012;31:25–30. - PubMed
    1. Chikhladze N., Janberidze E., Velijanashvili M. Mismatch between physicians and family members views on communications about patients with chronic incurable diseases receiving care in critical and intensive care settings in Georgia: a quantitative observational survey. BMC Palliat Care. 2016;15:63. - PMC - PubMed