Families’ Perceptions of Support from ICU Nurses in Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka

Introduction: The admission of a loved one to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a stressful experience for the family. In this situation, the needs of family members are often overlooked by nurses focusing on the immediate needs of critically ill patients. Family-centered care provided by the nurses can be measured through the family members’ cognitive and emotional perception of the support provided by the nurses. Objective: To determine the families’ perception of the support given by ICU nurses in the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 104 family members of patients who were treated in eight ICUs in the Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya using a consecutive sampling method. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of demographic information and Ice land-family perceived support scale (ICE-FPSQ) was used to collect data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages through SPSS Version 25. Mean scores were calculated for the cognitive and emotional support subscales. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of KIU (KIU/ERC/21/194). Results: The mean age of the participants was 38±7 years. Most of the participants were Sinhalese (92.3%, n=96) and 35-54 years (61.5%, n=64). Nearly, 34% (n=35) of the participants were spouses of the patients. The mean value of the overall support score (ICE-FPSQ) was 59.67±12.60 in dicating good support from ICU nurses. The mean value of cognitive perception was 21.27±7.30, in the subscale with a maximum value of 25. The mean value of emotional perception was 38.40±9.60, in the subscale with a maximum value of 45. Conclusion: Families’ perception of the support from ICU nurses was relatively high as indicated by the mean values of the cognitive and emotional subscales. Although the ICUs are overstretched with work, nurses must interact with families to offer the necessary support for both patients and family members, which enables them to manage the situation effectively.