Experiences of families of surviving patients in critical care units: A grounded theory analysis.

INTRODUCTION

Being a family member of a critically ill survivor often involves a process of familial and physical changes during recovery and rehabilitation at home.

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the experiences of families of patients discharged from the intensive care unit.

METHOD: A qualitative study using grounded theory, the constructivist approach of Kathy Charmaz. Data collection was conducted through in-depth interviews and journals written by fourteen family members during hospitalization and ninety days after discharge from critical care. Data analysis used clustering, focused coding, and selective coding.

RESULTS

The participants were 14, spouses and children, ages 23-68 years. The central category included experiencing positive and negative emotions and physical changes and experiencing different emotions during the recovery process at home.

CONCLUSION

After discharge, different situations also make the family's experience variable, with positive and negative emotions. These emotions always depended on the patient's clinical condition or the recovery process and limitations on basic needs, such as eating and sleeping, manifesting as physical changes related to weight loss.