A randomised controlled trial of a nurse facilitator to promote communication for family members of critically ill patients

ESICM Talk

Admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) can be a challenging experience for patients and their families. Psychological burdens, including symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress, are among the most reported during the ICU stay.

A recent study has been carried out as a joint project between France and the United States in which the experts have designed an intervention to improve outcomes for patients’ families. For this intervention, they evaluated the nurse facilitator to support, model and teach communication strategies that will help in securing care aligned with patients' goals at the ICU.

To learn more about this intervention, we interviewed one of the main authors, Nancy Kentish Barnes. Listen to our podcast for deeper insights into this study!