Meaning and comfort factors in the paediatric intensive care unit from an adult perspective: a descriptive phenomenological study.

Aims: To explore the meaning of comfort and know the factors that contribute to it from the point of view of the young adults who received care in a paediatric intensive care unit, the family of the patient and the interdisciplinary team attending the patient. Findings: A total of 30 people were invited to participate in the focus groups; 24 did so. Thematic analysis yielded the following common categories: meaning of comfort, environmental factors in paediatric intensive care unit, family accompaniment during paediatric intensive care unit stay, management of information in the paediatric intensive care unit and, finally, the intimacy and privacy of the critically ill paediatric patient and their family. Conclusions: Paediatric intensive care unit professionals need to consider not only the environmental input that may lead to discomfort but also aspects such as continuous family accompaniment, the sharing of complete information with the family and the promoting of privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]