Negotiating Time and Spaces: Family Experience of Waiting in the Intensive Care Unit

Caring for a loved one in the intensive care unit (ICU) during a critical illness can place significant emotional strain on families, often resulting in anxiety and depression. Central to this experience is waiting-a defining, yet understudied, component of ICU life. Few studies have explored how the intensity and uncertainty of the ICU environment shape the challenges associated with waiting.

This study explores relatives' lived experience of waiting in the ICU, focussing on its emotional, spatial and relational dimensions.

We employed a two-phase qualitative design. The first phase involved exploratory observations across three ICUs to gain contextual insights and identify themes relevant to ICU visitors. These findings informed the development of a semi-structured interview guide for the second phase. In the second phase, we conducted qualitative interviews with family members in two ICUs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, anonymized and analysed using thematic analysis.

Observations were carried out over 5 days in June 2024, involving informal contact with 39 relatives and 14 interviews. In the second phase, 17 of 21 invited participants were interviewed over 4 months. Four key themes emerged: Waiting in the ICU-shaped by personal histories and the patient's condition; What we wait for-highlighting diverse expectations; The experience of waiting-a fragile balance of apprehension, understanding and coping; and The waiting room-both a refuge and a site of socialization and concern.

Waiting in the ICU is an active, emotionally charged process shaped by institutional structures, personal strategies and ethical ties.

Recognizing families' dependence on the care team, affirming their agency and designing inclusive, humane waiting environments are essential to supporting families and promoting family-centred care in the ICU.