The experience and needs of the relatives of i̇ntensive care patients

The purpose of this study was to identify the experiences and needs of intensive care patients' families. The research was descriptive and cross-sectional, conducted with family members (N=219) who were inpatients in the intensive care units of Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital within the borders of Ankara province between 02 November 2022 and 02 March 2023. The data of the study were collected face to face using the Intensive Care Patient Relatives' Experiences Survey and the Intensive Care Units Relatives InventoryAccording to the main findings of this study, relatives of intensive care patients generally knew the diagnosis of their patients and visited them usually within the first 24-48 hours. It was found that visiting restrictions had negative effects on patients; however, most relatives did not experience negative emotions due to their patient being in intensive care. Participants were generally well informed about the condition of their patients and did not have problems communicating with the staff. Notably, the most requested topic among the suggestions received from relatives was for more information about the patient's condition. The mean score of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory was found to be 130.74±16.03.