title: Relatives' involvement in nursing care: a qualitative study describing critical care nurses' experiences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  When patients become critically ill it also affects their relatives. The aim of this study was to describe critical care nurses' experience of relatives' involvement in the nursing care of patients in an intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured personal interviews with eight critical care nurses in an intensive care unit in the northern part of Sweden were conducted during 2010. The interview texts were subjected to qualitative content analysis which resulted in the formulation of two main categories and five sub-categories.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings showed that relatives' involvement was appreciated and seen as great resource for both patients and critical care nurses. Protecting the integrity of patients was one reason for limiting their involvement. The environment and lack of time were experienced as other obstacles to the involvement of relatives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aligning the needs of the relatives to be involved in the care with the needs of the patient and the work situation of the nurses requires open communication between all three parties.
authors.affiliation: Ambulance Care, Department of Health Care Centre Pajala, Sweden. asa.engstrom@ltu.se
authors.forename: Birgitta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Engström
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uusitalo
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Engström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D034462:Dissent and Disputes; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014789:Visitors to Patients / Q000523:psychology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology