The Effects of Extended Family Visiting Hours in the Intensive Care Unit

Lee, Young-Ock; Kang, Ji-Yeon

Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing 2011;4(1):51-63.
Published online June 30, 2011.

중환자실 가족면회 시간 연장의 효과

이영옥, 강지연

¹고신대학교 복음병원 외과계중환자실
²동아대학교 간호학과

The Effects of Extended Family Visiting Hours in the Intensive Care Unit

Young-Ock Lee, Ji-Yeon Kang

¹SICU, Kosin University Gaspel Hospital
²Department of Nursing, Dong-A University

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to examine the effects of extended family visiting hours in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods
The subjects were 168 ICU patients and their family members. Two 30-minute visits a day were allowed to the control group according to current policy, while four 30-minute visits a day were allowed to the experimental group. Patients' state anxiety was measured at the first day of ICU admission, and on the third day of ICU admission patients' anxiety and family satisfaction were measured. For the infection rate, comparison was made between the experimental and control data-collecting periods.
Results
The patients' state anxiety significantly decreased in the experimental group. Family satisfaction of experimental group was significantly higher than that of control group. There was no significant difference in the infection rate. Nurses positively evaluated extension of visiting hours because it could stabilize patients, reduce the number of arrangements for additional visits, and help establish trust relationship with families.
Conclusion
Extended family visiting hours in the ICU reduced patients' anxiety and improved family satisfaction but had no effect on the infection rate. Extended family visiting hours in the ICU is expected to improve the quality of critical care.

Key Words: Intensive care units, Patients, Anxiety, Family, Satisfaction