Comparison of Intensive Care Unit Nurses’ and Family Members’ Priorities of Patient and Family-centered Care in Ghana

Abstract

Purpose : Life-threatening illnesses represent a crisis for individual patients and their families. Little has been made to understand the priorities or perspectives in developing a care plan. This results in poor outcomes, and patients and families return home without being satisfied with the care provided. This study aimed to address nurses’ and families’ care priorities on patient and family-centered care principles and compare those priorities.Methods : A quantitative comparative descriptive research was conducted. The data were part of a study that was carried out to elicit and compare nurses’ and families’ perceptions of complying with patient and family-centered care (PFCC) principles in intensive care units (ICU) in Ghana. The respondents were ICU nurses (n=123) and family members of hospitalized patients in the ICU (n=111). The tool for the study was a “modernized version of a hospital self-assessment inventory on PFCC,” and data analyses were performed using SPSS version 20.0.Results : Nurses and families differed significantly in their priorities of care based on the principles of PFCC. The means and p -values were significantly different for the definition, pattern of care and access to information/education, and the overall total scores of the patient and family-centered care principles (PFCCP)Conclusion : To render care that aligns with the care priority of families and patients in the ICU, nurses must plan care in consultation with their families.