The lived experiences of family members who visit their relatives in Covid-19 intensive care unit for the first time: A phenomenological study

•The experience of entering the COVID-ICU generated various emotions among family members who donned PPE.•Fear of contagions related to donning/doffing procedures.•Positive emotions (as conveyed in video calls) in seeing loved ones again, despite them being sedated and intubated, as they were ‘no longer in a state of suffering’.•Concern for the emotional state of the hospitalised relative.•Reassessment of their image of the ICU, which led to increased recognition of the importance of nursing work. COVID-19 patient experiences in the intensive care unit (ICU) are marked by family separation. Families understand the importance of isolation and hospital visiting policies, but they consider it necessary to visit their loved ones and use personal protective equipment. To describe the lived experiences of family members in their first contact with a relative in a COVID-ICU. A phenomenological study was conducted using Cohen's method. The subjects were interviewed using an open-question format to allow them full freedom of expression. Twelve family members were recruited between February and March 2021. Analysis of the qualitative data resulted in five major themes: (1) fear of contagion related to donning/doffing procedures, (2) positive emotions related to first contact with the hospitalized relative, (3) concern for the emotional state of the hospitalized relative, (4) impact of the COVID-ICU and comparisons between imagination and reality regarding the severity of the disease, and (5) recognition of and gratitude toward healthcare professionals. It has been confirmed that visits to the ICU reduce anxiety among family members. Our findings constitute an internationally relevant contribution to understanding of the needs of relatives who meet loved ones for the first time while wearing personal protective equipment.