Nurses' Descriptions and Practices of Family Engagement in Intensive Care Settings: An International, Multisite Qualitative-Descriptive Study

Principal Investigator: Sandra K.Eggenberger, PhD, RN; Co-Investigators: Petra Brysiewicz; Rahel Naef; Patricia Beierwaltes; Vico Chiang; David Clisbee; Junko Honda; Martin Nagl-Cupal; Ann Price; Anna Richardson; Sandra Richardson; Tara Tehan; Jennifer de Beer; Amanda Towell-Barnard; Beverly Ewens

Study Aims

The aim of this study is to discern nurses' descriptions and practices of family engagement in the adult intensive care units (ICUs) from a global perspective. Researchers from ten countries (Australia, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Saudia Arabia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States) have now created a global research team with short and long-term plans. Methods to engage families and address barriers in the acute care setting will be more fully understood. There is a need for research focused on family engagement from a global nursing perspective to guide family nursing practice.

Purposes of the Study

The purpose of the study is to explore family engagement in ICU from the nurses' perspective across the continuum from pre- admission to admission to ICU transfer within a number of international settings. Specific purposes:

Describe how nurses perceive their involvement and engagement with families of critically ill patients in the ICU within a number of international settings.
Identify nurses' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to family engagement, as well as factors that influence family engagement during the acute illness of a family member who is hospitalized in the ICU within a number of international settings.
Examine attributes of nurse-family engagement in a number of international settings.
Describe family engagement practices that nurses use with families during the critical illness of a family member admitted into the ICU.

Study Setting

The study setting includes 10 countries with academic-practice partners: Australia, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Saudia Arabia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States academic and health care systems.