TY - JOUR

T1 - Patient and family engagement in Danish intensive care units

T2 - A national survey

AU - Collet, Marie Oxenbøll

AU - Albertsen, Helle

AU - Egerod, Ingrid

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Background: Patient and family engagement in the intensive care unit increases the quality of care and patient safety. Aim: The aim of our study was to describe current practice and experiences of contemporary patient and family engagement in the intensive care unit at the individual level, the organizational level, and in the research process according to critical care nurses. Design/Method: We conducted a national qualitative survey of intensive care units in Denmark from 5th May–5th June 2021. Questionnaires were piloted and sent to intensive care nurse specialists and research nurses at 41 intensive care units, allowing one respondent per unit. All respondents were provided with written information about the study by email, and by activating the survey link, they accepted participation. Results: Thirty-two nurses responded to the invitation, 24 completed and 8 partially completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 78%. At the individual level, 27 respondents stated that they involved patients and 25 said they involved family in daily treatment and care. At the organizational level, 28 intensive care units had an overall strategy or guideline for patient and family engagement, and 4 units had established a PFE panel. And, finally, 11 units engaged patients and families in the research process. Conclusions: Our survey suggested that patient and family engagement was implemented to some degree at the individual level, organizational level, and in the research process, but only 4 units had established a PFE panel at the organizational level, which is key to engagement. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Patient engagement increases when patients are more awake, and family engagement increases when patients are unable to participate. Engagement increases when patient and family engagement panels are implemented.

AB - Background: Patient and family engagement in the intensive care unit increases the quality of care and patient safety. Aim: The aim of our study was to describe current practice and experiences of contemporary patient and family engagement in the intensive care unit at the individual level, the organizational level, and in the research process according to critical care nurses. Design/Method: We conducted a national qualitative survey of intensive care units in Denmark from 5th May–5th June 2021. Questionnaires were piloted and sent to intensive care nurse specialists and research nurses at 41 intensive care units, allowing one respondent per unit. All respondents were provided with written information about the study by email, and by activating the survey link, they accepted participation. Results: Thirty-two nurses responded to the invitation, 24 completed and 8 partially completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 78%. At the individual level, 27 respondents stated that they involved patients and 25 said they involved family in daily treatment and care. At the organizational level, 28 intensive care units had an overall strategy or guideline for patient and family engagement, and 4 units had established a PFE panel. And, finally, 11 units engaged patients and families in the research process. Conclusions: Our survey suggested that patient and family engagement was implemented to some degree at the individual level, organizational level, and in the research process, but only 4 units had established a PFE panel at the organizational level, which is key to engagement. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Patient engagement increases when patients are more awake, and family engagement increases when patients are unable to participate. Engagement increases when patient and family engagement panels are implemented.

KW - critical care nursing

KW - intensive care unit

KW - involvement

KW - paediatric

KW - patient and family engagement

U2 - 10.1111/nicc.12947

DO - 10.1111/nicc.12947

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37402590

AN - SCOPUS:85164310260

VL - 29

SP - 614

EP - 621

JO - Nursing in Critical Care

JF - Nursing in Critical Care

SN - 1362-1017

IS - 3

ER -