Experiences of Family Members Participating in Early Rehabilitation of Cardiac Surgery ICU Patients: A Descriptive...

Family participation in early rehabilitation in the intensive care unit (ICU) is recommended to improve patient outcomes, but evidence regarding its implementation in cardiac surgery ICUs within a Chinese cultural context remains limited.

To explore the experiences of family members involved in the early rehabilitation of cardiac surgery ICU patients and to provide a theoretical basis for optimising family participation models in ICU rehabilitation.

From January to June 2025, 15 family members who participated in early rehabilitation care were purposively recruited from the cardiac surgery ICU of a tertiary hospital in Nanjing, China. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive qualitative methods. This study adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines.

Two primary themes emerged regarding the family members' experiences with early rehabilitation. Facilitators included a recognition of the necessity of involvement and perceived benefits, such as providing psychological support to patients and acquiring professional nursing knowledge. Barriers comprised concerns regarding potential patient harm, a desire for formal training and supervision and practical challenges that exceeded initial expectations.

This study concludes that whilst families demonstrate a willingness to participate in early rehabilitation, their involvement is hindered by safety concerns, inadequate preparation and operational challenges that exceed initial expectations. This study recommends a nurse-led, stepwise family participation model incorporating progressive training and multidisciplinary support to facilitate meaningful and safe family engagement in early rehabilitation within the cardiac surgery ICU.

This study emphasises the necessity of a structured, nurse-led framework to guide family participation in early rehabilitation within the cardiac surgery ICU, offering a theoretical foundation for optimising family engagement models in critical care rehabilitation.