Intensive Care Survivors’ Experiences During Acute Hospitalization in Critical Care Unit Kenyatta National Hospital
Abstract
Background: Majority of intensive care survivors suffer physical and psychosocial
traumatic experiences during acute hospitalization. A prolonged ICU stay influences
the quality of life through stressful memories that affect the physical, mental and social
wellbeing. ICU care is costly and these impairments may vary in severity, lasts for years
and can greatly affect the lives in ICU survivors. These impairments are recognized as
public health burdens and are related to clinical conditions, treatments provided, and
stressful factors during ICU care. These patients are fraught with challenges, for which
they receive little or no support or preparation.
Main objective: To explore intensive care survivors’ experiences during acute
hospitalization in Critical Care Unit, Kenyatta National Hospital.
Method: This was a descriptive phenomenological qualitative study to investigate
intensive care survivors’ experiences during acute hospitalization in the intensive care
unit, Kenyatta National Hospital. Purposive sampling method was used to identify
study participants (patients discharged home post ICU care). Ten (10) participants were
included in the study. Data was collected from participants using an in-depth interview
guide and participant observation. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed
verbatim and common themes identified iteratively. Data analysis was done
thematically by use of Nvivo software.
Results: Five major themes emerged from analysis: Reminiscence of ICU experience,
Interaction with the ICU environment, adverse psychosocial experiences, quality of
care and enabling practice.
Recollection of ICU experiences found that majority of the participants could remember
the experiences they had in ICU. Most of them reported positive experiences which
related to interaction with healthcare providers and the environment. Only few of the
participants reported knowing when they were being admitted in ICU from theatre.
Majority of the participants had positive interaction with physical environment derived
from the cleanliness of the ICU, responsive nature of many of healthcare providers and
commitment to meeting patient needs. Further, noise from staff, machines, needle
punctures and constant change of diapers were the most common stressors among ICU
patients. Psychosocial experiences included trauma experiences, period of delirium and
feeling helplessness.
Majority of the participants reported high level of confidence in quality of care provided
and having received respectful care while in ICU. Challenges in delivery of quality care
involved just a few healthcare providers who did not practice respectful care.
Conclusion and recommendation: The findings have shown that the quality of care
in ICU is relatively high although there are major challenges that need to be addressed
in improving the quality of care. Thus, conduct training and workshops for health care
providers on dealing with critically ill patients to avoid mishandling of patients.
Increasing the number of counsellors and psychologists in ICU to control the
occurrence of psychosocial issues which are highly prevalent will be essential in
improving ICU patient experiences.
Publisher
UON
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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