Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Oct 2004
The experiences of partners of critically ill persons in an intensive care unit.
The aim of this study was to describe partners' experiences when their spouses received care in an intensive care unit (ICU). Seven partners were interviewed using a narrative approach. The interview texts were subjected to qualitative thematic content analysis. ⋯ Receiving support from family and friends was important, as were understanding and accepting what had happened, obtaining information and the way in which this was given. The state of uncertainty concerning the outcome for the critically ill person was difficult to cope with. The partners wanted to hope, even though the prognosis was poor.