This study examined the waiting experiences of 12 families following a sudden unexpected neurological intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. Using a phenomenological approach, family experiences were collected and analyzed. The major themes of uncertainty and searching for meaning depict the lifeworld of family waiting during critical illness. By understanding and entering a family's experience of waiting, ICU nurses can have a pivotal role in empowering families.
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Lisa Ann Plowfield (1999) studied this question.