Family members of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may experience stress, disorganization, and helplessness which may ultimately result in difficulty in mobilizing appropriate coping resources, thus leading to anxiety. The needs of family members are varied, and critical care nurses must become attuned to these needs and acquire the skills to direct their interventions more appropriately. This article presents the findings from a study that assessed the perceived level of importance of the needs of family members during the first 18 to 24 hours after admission to the ICU using the Critical care Family Needs Inventory. The study identified which needs were perceived as being met or unmet by the family members using the Needs Met Inventory after 36 to 48 hours had elapsed.

Family needs during the critical care experience of an adult member was the focus of this descriptive exploratory study conducted with 94 family members. The study describes the perceived needs of family members during the first 18 to 24 hours after admission of a patient to the critical care unit. The article further identifies the order in which the family perceived those needs to be met 36 to 48 hours after admission of that patient. Family members of adult patients completed a three-part instrument, which consisted of the Demographics Data Questionnaire, the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), and the Needs Met Inventory (NMI). Items with which the family strongly agreed are discussed. The correlation between the CCFNI and the NMI is explicated. Also, the unusual finding of an inverse relationship between education and comfort/support statements is presented.

In this descriptive, exploratory study, nurses' perceptions of family needs as met during the critical care experiences of an adult member were correlated to the families' perception of those same needs as being met. The population consisted of 45 family members in a large county hospital designated as a Level 3 trauma center. Family members of adult patients and registered nurses who were assigned to care for them completed a three-part instrument, which consisted of the Demographics Data Questionnaire, the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), and the Needs Met Inventory (NMI). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The top 10 needs perceived by the family members and registered nurses were reported in order of importance during the first 18-24 hours on the CCFNI and NMI. Data were analyzed on all 45 need statements to determine the top 10 needs perceived as important on the CCFNI and perceived as being met on the NMI. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was performed on the data and yielded significant differences on three of the items. Linear regression was performed using t test which supported a significant difference on five statements based on critical care nursing years of experiences in critical care. Self-reported or open-ended comments from the family members and nurses were presented.