Follow‐up visit in an ICU: receiving a sense of coherence

Abstract

The follow-up visit, together with a personal diary, after an ICU stay could be seen as significant for strengthening the patients' feeling of coherence and better health.

The provision of nurse‐led follow‐up at Norwegian intensive care units

“…(). Engstrom, Rogmalm, Marklund, & Walivaara () have described how patients experienced both family members and the diaries as important tools in the struggle to “create a context and coherence from a missing or unreal time”. Furthermore, earlier studies report that family members often experience traumatic stress and extended periods of sick leave through being the primary caregivers and facilitators of patient recovery (Svenningsen et al., ).…”

Skriver dagbok til respirator=pasienter

“…Engasjementet hos sykepleiere som skriver dagbok, er forankret i positive tilbakemeldinger fra takknemlige pasienter og pårørende (3, [13][14][15]. Sykepleiere som skriver dagbok, kan få innsikt i pasientenes opplevelse av intensivbehandlingen, noe som kan bidra til å videreutvikle sykepleien til pasientgruppen (9).…”

What's in this issue

“…However, Engström et al () argue that follow‐up visits for patients with their relatives facilitated by staff who cared for the patients during their stay on ICU offers an opportunity to create a context and coherence for the time the patient spent in ICU. Memory gaps can be filled using the patient diary, especially when staff explained to them, supported by relatives' accounts of their experience, what happened to them during their stay in the ICU.…”

“…Memory gaps can be filled using the patient diary, especially when staff explained to them, supported by relatives' accounts of their experience, what happened to them during their stay in the ICU. Engström et al () conclude that opportunity to read the diary with staff is important whereas the patients in the Petersson et al () study read the diary without staff being present. Engström et al () advocate the facilitation by staff to put meaning to altered memories, and gaps in time.…”

“…Engström et al () conclude that opportunity to read the diary with staff is important whereas the patients in the Petersson et al () study read the diary without staff being present. Engström et al () advocate the facilitation by staff to put meaning to altered memories, and gaps in time. They concluded from their interview data with nine patients, follow‐up clinics had a positive impact on the health and well‐being of both the patient and their relative.…”