Hospital patients

This study described the lived experience of patients during family visits in the critical care setting. Using Colaizzi's method of phenomenology interviews were conducted on six critical care patients in their homes two days after discharge from the hospital. From the transcribed interviews, three themes emerged: (a) Family visits enhance patients' well-being; (b) Family visits provide patient support systems; and, (c) Family visits facilitate communication among patients, the health care team, and members of the family. Implications for nursing practice, nursing education, and research are presented.

This qualitative study of the phenomenon of nurse providing care to a client that the nurse does not like or determines to be unpopular was conducted with five professional nurses, who had experienced the phenomenon. Phenomenological method guided the inquiry through the narrative descriptions, from which essential descriptive themes of secrecy, avoidance, internalized conflict, specialness, and unfinishedness were uncovered and revealed by dwelling with the material. The implications for nursing education, nursing practice and nursing research are discussed.