Post-hospital recovery trajectories of family members of critically ill COVID-19 survivors: an international qualitative investigation.

PURPOSE: The immediate impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) visiting restrictions for family members has been well-documented. However, the longer-term trajectory, including mechanisms for support, is less well-known. To address this knowledge gap, we aimed to explore the post-hospital recovery trajectory of family members of patients hospitalised with a critical care COVID-19 admission. We also sought to understand any differences across international contexts. METHODS: We undertook semi-structured interviews with family members of patients who had survived a COVID-19 critical care admission. Family members were recruited from Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) and telephone interviews were undertaken. Interviews were analysed using a thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Across the international sites, 19 family members were interviewed. Four themes were identified: changing relationships and carer burden; family health and trauma; social support and networks and differences in lived experience. We found differences in the social support and networks theme across international contexts, with Spanish participants more frequently discussing religion as a form of support. CONCLUSIONS: This international qualitative investigation has demonstrated the challenges which family members of patients hospitalised with a critical care COVID-19 admission experience following hospital discharge. Specific support mechanisms which could include peer support networks, should be implemented for family members to ensure ongoing needs are met.

Clinician perceptions of the impact of ICU family visiting restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic: an international investigation.

PURPOSE: To guarantee the safety of the public, clinicians and patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital visits were severely restricted internationally. There are limited data on the precise impact of these visiting restrictions on Intensive Care Unit clinicians. Our objectives therefore were to explore the impact of family visitation restrictions on clinicians and care delivery and describe innovation alongside areas for potential improvement. METHODS: A qualitative approach using focus groups was employed. We recruited members of the multi-disciplinary team from Spain, France and the UK. Framework analysis was used to synthesize and interpret data. RESULTS: In total, 28 staff from multiple international sites contributed to data across six focus groups: 12 from the UK, 9 from France and 7 from Spain. In relation to the key aims, we derived four themes: the emergence of new technologies, relationships and rapport establishment, communication challenges and end-of-life care provision. Across each theme, the overarching concepts of clinician emotional exhaustion and emotional distress emerged alongside the negative impact on job satisfaction. CONCLUSION: The impact of COVID-19 family visitation restrictions is far reaching. Future research should examine the wider impact of family presence in the ICU.

Psychometric properties of the Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale: A multicentre cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction with nursing care is an indicator of patient satisfaction with the hospital stay in general. The Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale is the only scale about patient satisfaction with nursing care received in an intensive care unit that incorporates the critically ill patient's perspective into its design and validation. We validated the scale nationally, incorporating intensive care units at public and private hospitals of different levels of complexity in Spain. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to validate in Spanish intensive care units the Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale, a patient-centred questionnaire that evaluates recently discharged intensive care patients' satisfaction with the nursing care they received. DESIGN: We used a psychometric quantitative methodology and a descriptive cross-sectional design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted in intensive care units at level II and III public and private hospitals throughout Spain. The study population was all patients discharged from intensive care units from December 2018 to December 2019 from the 19 participating hospitals. We used consecutive sampling until reaching a sample size of 677 patients. The assessment instruments were given to patients at discharge and 48 h later to measure temporal stability. METHODS: The validation process included the analysis of internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient), temporal stability (test-retest), construct validity through a confirmatory factor analysis, and criterion validity using the Pearson correlation coefficient and three criterion items that assessed similar constructs. RESULTS: The reliability of the scale was 0.97, and the factors obtained values between 0.87 and 0.96. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the total scale was 0.83, indicating good temporal stability. Construct validity showed a good fit and a four-factor structure, in accordance with the theoretical model. Criterion validity presented a correlation that was between moderate and high (range: 0.46 to 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: The Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale has good psychometric properties, demonstrating its ability to accurately measure patient satisfaction across a range of contexts in Spain. Continuous monitoring of satisfaction will allow nurses to identify areas for improvement that can increase the quality of care.

Satisfaction of intensive care unit patients linked to clinical and organisational factors: A cross-sectional multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: The satisfaction of critical care patients with the nursing care they receive is a key indicator of the quality of hospital care. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to analyse the level of satisfaction of critical care patients in relation to the nursing care received and to determine the relationship between the level of satisfaction and sociodemographic, clinical, and organisational variables. DESIGN: This was a prospective, descriptive correlational study. SETTING AND METHODS: The population consisted of all patients discharged from the intensive care units (ICUs) of 19 hospitals in Spain between December 2018 and December 2019. The level of satisfaction was measured using the validated Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale, and sociodemographic, clinical, and organisational data were collected. RESULTS: Participants' mean age (n = 677) was 59.7 (standard deviation: 16.1), and 62.8% of them were men (n = 426). Satisfaction with the nursing care received was 5.66 (SD: 0.68) out of a possible 6. The score for overall satisfaction presented statistically significant relationships with the hours of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.034), with the participant's perception of own health status (p = 0.01), with the participant's perceived degree of own recovery (p = 0.01), with the hospital's complexity level (p = 0.002), with the type of hospital (p = 0.005), and with the type of ICU (p = 0.004). Finally, the logistic regression model shows that the Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale score was not linked to age or sex but did have a statistically significant relationship with the perceived degree of recovery (p < 0.001) and the type of ICU (p=<0.001). The variables that predicted satisfaction were age, degree of recovery, and the type of ICU. CONCLUSION: Several studies show that patient satisfaction is related to the patient's perceived health status and perceived degree of recovery, a finding that is confirmed in our study. Our study moves beyond these outcomes to show that the hours of mechanical ventilation and the characteristics of the hospital also have a significant relationship with patients' satisfaction.

Impact of a Nurse-Driven Patient Empowerment Intervention on the Reduction in Patients' Anxiety and Depression During ICU Discharge: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of a nurse-driven patient empowerment intervention on anxiety and depression of patients during ICU discharge. DESIGN: A prospective, multicenter, randomized clinical trial. SETTING: Three ICUs (1 medical, 1 medical and surgical, and 1 coronary) of three tertiary hospitals. PATIENTS: Adults admitted to the ICU greater than 18 years old for greater than or equal to 48 hours with preserved consciousness, the ability to communicate and without delirium, who were randomized to receive the nurse-driven patient empowerment intervention (NEI) (intervention group [IG] or standard of care [control group (CG)]) before ICU discharge. INTERVENTION: The NEI consisted of an individualized intervention with written information booklets, combined with verbal information, mainly about the ICU process and transition to the ward, aimed at empowering patients in the transition process from the ICU to the general ward. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale before and after (up to 1 wk) ICU discharge. IG ( n = 91) and CG ( n = 87) patients had similar baseline characteristics. The NEI was associated with a significant reduction in anxiety and depression ( p < 0.001) and the presence of depression ( p = 0.006). Patients with comorbidities and those without family or friends had greater reductions in anxiety and depression after the NEI. After the intervention, women and persons with higher education levels had lower negative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a NEI before ICU discharge can decrease anxiety and depression in critically ill survivors. The long-term effect of this intervention should be assessed in future trials. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04527627 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04527627 ).

Patients' experience while transitioning from the intensive care unit to a ward.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients can experience emotional distress and post-traumatic stress disorder when they leave the ICU, also referred to as post-intensive care syndrome. A deeper understanding of what patients go through and what they need while they are transitioning from the ICU to the general ward may provide input on how to strengthen patient-centred care and, ultimately, contribute to a positive experience. AIM: To describe the patients' experience while transitioning from the ICU to a general ward. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study. METHOD: Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and analysed using a qualitative content analysis. The qualitative study was reported in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. FINDINGS: Forty-eight interviews were conducted. Impact on emotional well-being emerged as a main theme, comprising four categories with six subcategories. CONCLUSION: Transition from the ICU can be a shock for the patient, leading to the emergence of a need for information, and an impact on emotional well-being that has to be planned for carefully and addressed prior to, during, and following transition from the ICU to the general ward. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is essential that nurses understand patients' experiences during transfer, identifying needs and concerns to be able to develop and implement new practices such as ICU Liaison Nurse or Nurse Outreach for the follow-up of these patients, the inclusion of a consultant mental health nurse, and the application of patient empowerment during ICU discharge.

Nursing Interventions for Patient Empowerment during Intensive Care Unit Discharge: A Systematic Review.

Intensive care unit discharge is an important transition that impacts a patient's wellbeing. Nurses can play an essential role in this scenario, potentiating patient empowerment. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (the PRISMA Statement. Embase), PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CUIDEN Plus, and LILACS databases; these were evaluated in May 2021. Two independent reviewers analyzed the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the quality of evidence. Quality of the studies included was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Of the 274 articles initially identified, eight randomized controlled trials that reported on nursing interventions had mainly focused on patients' ICU discharge preparation through information and education. The creation of ICU nurse-led teams and nurses' involvement in critical care multidisciplinary teams also aimed to support patients during ICU discharge. This systematic review provides an update on the clinical practice aimed at improving the patient experience during ICU discharge. The main nursing interventions were based on information and education, as well as the development of new nursing roles. Understanding transitional needs and patient empowerment are key to making the transition easier.

Lived Experiences of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many hospitalized patients and deaths worldwide. Coronavirus patients were isolated from their relatives and visits were banned to prevent contagion. This has brought about a significant change in deeply rooted care habits in Mediterranean and Latin American countries where the family normally accompanies vulnerable hospitalized patients. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the hospitalization experience of COVID-19 patients and their family members. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used. Data collection included inductive, in-depth interviews with 11 COVID-19 hospitalized patients. The mean age of patients was 55.4 years and 45% were female. Nearly 50% required Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Ten meaningful statements were identified and grouped in three themes: Positive and negative aspects of the care provided, the patient's perspective, and perception of the experience of the disease. In conclusion, COVID-19 patients, aware of the severity of the pandemic, were very adaptable to the situation and had full confidence in health professionals. Patient isolation was perceived as necessary. Technology has helped to maintain communication between patients and relatives.

Mixed-method research protocol: Development and evaluation of a nursing intervention in patients discharged from the intensive care unit.

AIM: (a) To understand patients' lived experience at intensive care unit (ICU) discharge and (b) to evaluate the impact of a nursing empowerment intervention (NEI) on patients' anxiety and depression levels at ICU discharge. DESIGN: A mixed-methods approach will be applied. METHODS: In the qualitative phase, the hermeneutic phenomenological method will be used. Participants will be patients from three university hospitals who will be selected by purposive sampling. Data will be gathered through in-depth interviews and analysed using content analysis. The qualitative data obtained will be employed to develop the nursing intervention. Subsequently, a multicenter, parallel-group, experimental pre-test/post-test design with a control group will be used to measure the effectiveness of the nursing empowerment intervention in the quantitative phase by means of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Simple random probabilistic sampling will include 172 patients in this phase.

Experiences of nursing students as healthcare aid during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: A phemonenological research study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a worldwide health and social crisis directly impacting the healthcare system. Hospitals had to rearrange its structure to meet clinical needs. Spain has been experiencing a shortage of working nurses. Student nurses in their last year at university were employed to help the National Health System respond to the COVID-19 crisis. AIM: The aim of this study was to explore and understand the experience of nursing students' roles as healthcare aid in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenology design was used to explore undergraduate nursing students' perceptions of their experiences as HAs during the COVID-19 outbreak. Open face-to-face interviews were conducted to nursing students (n = 10) in May 2020. Data was analyzed using the hermeneutic interpretative approach. RESULTS: All participants were women aged between 21 and 25 years. Seven main themes emerged: learning, ambivalent emotions and adaptation were classified at a personal level; teamwork, patient communication, and unclear care processes were categorized under hospital structure; and coping mechanisms were part of external factors. CONCLUSIONS: Orientation, follow-up, and emotional support in crisis situations are key to unexperienced healthcare workers overcoming stressful emotions. Previous academic education and training may help novice future nurses feel more confident about their tasks and responsibilities as well as improve patient outcomes, resource management, and staff safety.

Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care questionnaire: Adaptation and psychometric properties.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaption and psychometric evaluation of the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care (SEC) questionnaire and analyze patient satisfaction with epilepsy care. METHODS: Transcultural adaptation and validation of the SEC were carried out using translation and back-translation with pilot testing and an expert panel. The SEC-E (Spanish) was analyzed in 213 patients with epilepsy to examine construct and criterion validity and internal consistency. RESULTS: The SEC-E achieved conceptual, semantic, and content equivalence with the original version. For content validity, one question was eliminated from the original questionnaire as it has little relevance in our cultural setting. Positive correlations for criterion validity were obtained using the gold standard measure (Satisfaction in Hospitalized Patients scale). Construct validity replicated the three dimensions of the original questionnaire. The scale showed adequate reliability through internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.94) and temporal stability on retest (n = 85). Patients scored (0 to 100) 77.5 [standard deviation (SD): 19.9] for satisfaction with communication, 76.9 (SD: 17) for organization, and 67.2 (SD: 22.1) for information. SIGNIFICANCE: The SEC-E is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of educational interventions aiming to improve the quality of care in patients with epilepsy in Spanish clinical practice. The results showed a good level of patient satisfaction with epilepsy care.