"Trygghet i det utrygge" : en kvalitativ studie av intensivsykepleierens møte med pårørende

Abstract

Acute admittance of critically ill patients can often instigate a feeling of vulnerability in the next of kin and strong feelings related to the situation are often the reaction. One of the tasks of the intensive care nurse is to guide the next of kin through their experience and meet their needs as well as the patients. Aim and objective The aim of the study was to investigate and enlighten the role of the intensive care nurse when meeting the next of kin of critically ill patients during the first 24 hours after admittance to intensive care unit in Norway. Objective (research question): How does the intensive care nurse encounter the next of kin of critically ill patients the first 24 hours after acute admittance in critical care units? Method A qualitative method with in depth interviews of nine intensive care nurses from different intensive care units in Norway was performed. Results The more common feedback from the intensive care nurses as the most important in regards of the next of kin in the first 24 hours was to take the time to care, give adequate and timely information about the patient’s condition, and accepting the next of kin´s reactions. Conclusion The study found that there is a unity amongst intensive care nurses in regards to the different needs required from the next of kin during the first 24 hours of acute admittance to hospital. The findings are in correspondence to earlier research and literature in this field.