Family Needs of Critically Ill Patients in Central Jordan: A Family Perspective | Biomed Grid

Background and aims: Family members' needs of hospitalized critically ill patients have been researched using both quantitative and qualitative designs. The purpose of this study was to describe family members' perceptions of their needs during the hospitalization of their critically ill relative. Methods: Two questionnaires were used; socio-demographic data sheet and the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) questionnaire, a descriptive comparative design was utilized to describe family members' perceptions of their needs during hospitalization of their critically ill relative. Results: A convenience sample of 227 family members participated in the study. The sample included 57.3% family members from public hospitals and 42.7% from private hospitals. Family members perceived 27 out of 44 needs as important or very important. The family members perceived assurance, information, and proximity higher than comfort and support needs (4 out of the 10 were related to the assurance subscale, 3 were related to proximity subscale; and the remaining items were related to the information subscale). Discussion and Conclusions: The current study investigated family needs within the context of the Jordanian population using valid and reliable measures. Although several studies investigated family needs, the current study was superlative to these by including larger samples from culturally diverse settings. Regardless of its descriptive nature, the study findings can help nurses give more attention to the psychological needs of the family members and involve these needs in their plan of care. The study has several implications for policy makers and nursing practice where fulfilling family needs is congruent with the holistic practice widely advised