Challenges in Visiting in the Intensive Care Unit

Open ICU visiting is recommended because of positive effects on patients and relatives. However, patient visiting in Iranian’s ICU is restricted now. Many issues around the subject have not been properly addressed. Here the visiting challenges have been discussed.

This is a qualitative descriptive-exploratory study conducted through semi-structured deep interview with 35 participants (6 patients, 20 nurses, and 9 patient relatives) in Shahrekord in 2017. Data analysis was carried out with a thematic analysis approach.

The main emerged theme was the "Conflict Experience". Families (patientschr('39') relatives) and patients consider the visiting as an important and necessary need, and this unmet need causes "imbalance between the familieschr('39') need and laws" and the "imbalance between the patientchr('39')s need and the laws.” Meanwhile, there was another dichotomy that was imbalance between "nurseschr('39') human and scientific beliefs on the patients and familieschr('39') need" and "nursechr('39')s belief in the reasons for the forbidden visiting and laws".

Experiencing "conflict" in participants indicates the necessity to find scientific and applicable strategies to address the visiting challenge.