Understanding family requirements in the intensive care room

This article explores how the built environment can promote family interaction in the intensive care room and how the family can be supported within the room to care for their loved one. Four families with children in the intensive care unit were interviewed about their intensive care room environment. Patient care and the diagnosis and treatment of the child were not discussed. Two families were chosen from a cardiac intensive care unit and 2 families from a medical-surgical intensive care unit. All intensive care rooms were equipped with medical gas booms. All families were preparing for transfer to the inpatient area. This article summarizes the discussion with families and identifies guiding principles for designers and health care personnel to consider when creating a new intensive care room environment.