Intensive & critical care nursing : the official journal of the British Association of Critical Care Nurses
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Intensive Crit Care Nurs · Dec 2019
Patients' perceptions of an intensive care unit diary written by relatives: A hermeneutic phenomenological study.
To explore patients' perceptions of an intensive care unit diary written by relatives including pictures added by staff. ⋯ Although diaries kept by relatives confront patients with consequences beyond their own suffering, they are informative and promote understanding of what patient and family experienced during critical illness. The diaries expressed how much the relatives cared for the patient thus paving the way for mutual support and understanding. Diaries authored by relatives represent a new element to ICU diaries that have evolved from a nursing intervention toward family participation.