Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units

Intensive care units place patients in medically complex, often life-threatening situations where families frequently become both emotional witnesses and active participants in care decisions, yet clinical practice has historically limited or structured their involvement with little systematic evidence to guide those choices. Researchers in this area examine how visiting policies, nursing communication strategies, and the presence of family members during procedures such as resuscitation affect patient outcomes, family wellbeing, and the quality of shared decision-making. A central tension in the literature is how to balance the operational and psychological demands on clinical staff against growing evidence that open, family-centered models can reduce patient anxiety and improve care experiences without compromising medical performance. Open questions include how to tailor family integration to specific ICU contexts — including imaging and ultrasound-guided procedures — and how healthcare teams can be better trained to support family needs during moments of acute crisis.

Works

51,499

Total citations

324,729

Keywords

Family PresencePatient-Centered CareIntensive Care UnitFamily NeedsCritical CareVisiting Policies