title: Living a nightmare: family experiences of waiting following neurological crisis.
abstract: This study examined the waiting experiences of 12 families following a sudden unexpected neurological intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization. Using a phenomenological approach, family experiences were collected and analyzed. The major themes of uncertainty and searching for meaning depict the lifeworld of family waiting during critical illness. By understanding and entering a family's experience of waiting, ICU nurses can have a pivotal role in empowering families.
authors.affiliation: University of Delaware, Department of Nursing, Newark 19716, USA.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Plowfield
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003422:Critical Care / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011379:Prognosis