Family-centred care in Intensive Care: Moving the evidence forward-A call for papers.

When working in intensive care, it does not take long to realise hat intensive care nursing is not just about operating technology nd managing medical treatments. Nor is it solely about providng physical and psychological support for the critically ill patient. ntensive and critical care nursing is also caring for, and caring bout, families. Whether you are passionate about it, or are chalenged by it, caring for families in critical care is an important nd, at times, undervalued part of the intensive and critical care urse’s role. There is no doubt that caring for a critically ill patient s increasingly complex and exacting in the current clinical environent. Moreover, a distressed and anxious family member can add o the nurse’s responsibility at the bedside. And yet, it is important o remember that in skilfully managing such situations, involving amily members in bedside care can positively impact on patient utcome (Lynn, 2014). Over recent years we have begun to understand more about the xperiences of family members in intensive care, and the impact on amilies of having a family member with a critical illness. For examle, it has long been recognised that family members in intensive are units (ICU) are also recipients of care (Crunden, 2010). Families ften experience conflicting demands at the bedside that include: roviding presence at the bedside; acting as a patient protector nd coach; providing facilitation between patient, health care staff nd other family members; acting as historian for the patient; and roviding voluntary caregiving (McAdam et al., 2008). And it is the ery functioning across these areas, at a time of witnessing critical llness in others, that carries its own burden. The impact on family members whilst being in intensive care s significant. Many family members experience psychological ymptoms including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depresion during, and after, the critical illness episode (Lautrette et al., 007; Davidson et al., 2012). With evidence that clinician-led, amily-centred communication and decision-making strategies can ositively impact on families (Azoulay et al., 2005; Lautrette et al., 007; Gries et al., 2010), there is a clear mandate for all healthcare rofessionals working in intensive care settings to consider how to mprove the delivery of family-centred care. On a practical level therefore, how can family-centred care be ntegrated into practice? Recommendations have been made about