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

Abstract

Aim: To describe patients' experiences of a follow-up visit to an intensive care unit (ICU) after being critically ill and nursed there.

Background: Knowledge about the follow-up visit needs to be developed, with the previously critically ill patient in focus.

Design: Qualitative descriptive.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine patients and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The data collection occurred during spring 2014.

Findings: During the follow-up visits in ICU, the relatives, the patient diary, and those who took part in the care contribute to fill memory gaps to create a picture and an explanation of the care period.

Conclusion: The follow-up visit is an important tool in the patients' struggle to create a context and coherence from a missing or unreal time. The patient diary is essential to subsequently be able to relate to the period of care.

Relevance to clinical practice: 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.

Keywords: Adult intensive care; Critical care nursing; ICU follow-up; Qualitative research.