Information and support needs of adult family members of patients in intensive care units: an Iranian perspective

Nurses are required to be knowledgeable about the needs of family members of patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit. The identification of the importance and priority of family members’ needs enables nurses to provide appropriate information and support for family members. The aim of this study was to describe the needs of family members of patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit. A descriptive cross-sectional study using survey methods was conducted. Family members of patients hospitalised for 24–72 hours in the intensive care units of 27 public and teaching hospitals in an urban area of Iran were chosen using the random sampling method. The 45-item Persian version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was used to collect numerical data. Four hundred and fifty family members participated. The mean score for each of the 45 items ranged from 2.45 to 3.72. Ten items were rated by responders as very important, with 93.13% of the sample rating ‘Giving an honest answer to questions’ as having the highest level of importance. ‘To have the pastor visit’ was reported to be the least important need. Age, family relations, marital status and level of education related to the importance level of some of the perceived needs. It is concluded that the most important needs consist of five items relating to the ‘assurance dimension’, while the least important ones are related to the ‘support dimension’. The incorporation of the needs of family members into the nursing education programme is suggested. The findings will help with the preparation of nurses, as future healthcare policy makers, to plan for meeting these needs and will reduce the psychological burden on family members of patients hospitalised in the intensive care unit.