title: The needs of families of ICU trauma patients: an integrative review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The sudden, devastating, nature of traumatic injuries has a profound effect on patients and their families. When family needs are appropriately met in the intensive care units (ICU), families are empowered to support their injured relative (Blom et al., 2013). While the needs of families of general ICU patients have been examined the needs of trauma patients' families are not known and may be unique.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The authors aimed to answer the question: "What are the needs of families of the adult ICU trauma patient?"
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrative review methodology was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen publications were included from 'traumatic brain injury' and 'burns' trauma subgroups. The themes of 'information'; 'making sense'; 'hope'; 'support'; 'involvement' and 'protection' were identified from the literature. 'Protection' was unique to trauma families, while the other themes concurred with those previously reported for general ICU families. This review was constrained by the lack of focused trauma patients' families' research, and was reliant on traumatic brain injury and burns subgroup studies. How the needs of these subgroups relate to other trauma patients' families is not known, and worthy of further research.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 4102, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Australia. Electronic address: ankwetzig@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wetzig
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Princess Alexandra Hospital, 4102, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Australia; NHMRC Griffith University, Centre for Research Excellence in Nursing, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: marion.mitchell@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D022143:Family Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Critical care; Family; Needs assessment; Trauma; Wounds and injuries