Health‐promoting conversations—A novel approach to families experiencing critical illness in the ICU environment

Aims and objectives To identify and describe the outcomes of a nurse‐led intervention, “Health‐promoting conversations with families,” regarding family functioning and well‐being in families with a member who was critically ill. Background Families who have a critically ill family member in an intensive care unit face a demanding situation, threatening the normal functioning of the family. Yet, there is a knowledge gap regarding family members’ well‐being during and after critical illness. Design The study used a qualitative inductive–descriptive design. Methods Eight families participated in health‐promoting conversations aimed to create a context for change related to the families’ identified problems and resources. Fifteen qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 adults who participated in health‐promoting conversations about a critical illness in the family. Eight participants were patients (six men, two women) and 10 were family members (two male partners, five female partners, one mother, one daughter, one female grandchild). The interviews were analysed by conventional content analysis. Results Family members experienced strengthened togetherness, a caring attitude and confirmation through health‐promoting conversations. The caring and calming conversations were appreciated despite the reappearance of exhausting feelings. Working through the experience and being confirmed promoted family well‐being. Conclusion Health‐promoting conversations were considered to be healing, as the family members take part in sharing each other's feelings, thoughts and experiences with the critical illness. Relevance to clinical practice Health‐promoting conversations could be a simple and effective nursing intervention for former intensive care patients and their families in any cultural context.