Empowerment in critical care – a concept analysis

Abstract

Scand J Caring Sci; 2017; 31; 164-174 Empowerment in critical care -a concept analysisObjective: The purpose of this paper was to analyse how the concept of empowerment is defined in the scientific literature in relation to critical care. As empowerment is a mutual process affecting all individuals involved, the perspectives of not only patients and next of kin but also staff were sought. Method: A literature review and a concept analysis based on Walker and Avant's analysis procedure were used to identify the basic elements of empowerment in critical care. Twenty-two articles with a focus on critical care were discovered and included in the investigation. Findings: A mutual and supportive relationship, knowledge, skills, power within oneself and self-determination were found to be the common attributes of empowerment in critical care. The results could be adapted and used for all parties involved in critical carewhether patients, next of kin or staff -as these defining attributes are assumed to be universal to all three groups, even if the more specific content of each attribute varies between groups and individuals. Conclusion: Even if empowerment is only sparsely used in relation to critical care, it appears to be a very useful concept in this context. The benefits of improving empowerment are extensive: decreased levels of distress and strain, increased sense of coherence and control over situation, and personal and/or professional development and growth, together with increased comfort and inner satisfaction.

From fear to fight: Patients experiences of early mobilization in intensive care. A qualitative interview study

“…Experiencing relief and feeling more normal is also described in several studies within the field of ICU nursing, with patients referring to good care and treatment (Engström, Nyström, Sundelin, and Rattray, 2013;Karlsson, Bergbom, and Forsberg, 2012;Wåhlin, 2017). In this study, participants experienced feelings of relief and recovery as they started moving and mobilizing to sitting or standing, even though this initially required great physical effort.…”

Concepts and measures of patient empowerment: a comprehensive review

“…The analysis showed that the concept of empowerment has been broadly used in the health sciences field, especially over the last 10 years. The majority of the publications studied trace the history of the concept back to pedagogy and community psychology (36)(37) . This section is therefore structured into subsections: the first section outlines the history and evolution of the term, while the second contextualizes the concept within the health sciences field and outlines the different definitions of the term and empowerment measures.…”

Family members' experiences with intensive care unit diaries when the patient does not survive

“…However, the current study also suggests that the diary contributes to participants' abilities to gain a sense of coherence or a way of making sense of the world that, according to Antonovsky's philosophy, affects health (25). That sense of coherence depends on the degree to which humans experience life as meaningful, comprehensible and manageable, and it is the individual's power of resistance to cope with stress, maintain health and even grow and develop further (25) that leads to increased empowerment (26). The participants referred to growth via the analogy of taking an existential journey and coming to terms with what happened to them during their journey; here, the diary played the role of 'travel helper'.…”