• Ferdous Hasan Omari.
• Department of Adult Health Nursing, School of Nursing Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. ferdous_omari@just.edu.jo
• J Nurs Scholarsh. 2009 Mar 1; 41 (1): 28-34.

PurposeTo identify the self-perceived needs of adult Jordanians who have family members in ICUs and to explore whether those needs were being met.DesignA descriptive, exploratory design was used. A convenience sample of 139 family members of 85 critically ill patients was recruited from ICUs located in three different types of hospitals in Irbid, a city in northern Jordan. The three types of hospitals included Ministry of Health, university health system, and private sector.MethodsFamily members who participated in this study were instructed to answer all the questionnaires that included: a demographic data form, the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), and Needs Met Inventory (NMI).ResultsThe findings showed that the 10 most important needs identified by adult Jordanian family members were in the Assurance and Information subscales. The need "to be assured that the best care possible is being given to the patient" was reported as the most important need. Use of the NMI indicated that none of the 10 most important needs were perceived as being met.ConclusionsJordanian ICU nurses should be prepared to care for families in crisis, and the focus of nursing practice should be moved from just patient-centered care to a more holistic approach including family needs.Clinical RelevanceMeeting family needs should be emphasized in nursing practice. Meeting these needs might help family members to cope better and be more supportive to their critically ill loved one.

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