The lifeworld of relatives of critically ill patients: a phenomenological hermeneutic study

This paper describes a phenomenological hermeneutic study of the experiences of relatives of critically ill patients. The study was conducted at a large tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. The participants were 15 female family members of critically ill patients. Taped conversations between the researcher and participants were conducted and interpreted using a hermeneutic transformative process. Four themes were identified: 'being-with', 'seeing', 'plain talk' and 'making sense'. The theme 'plain talk' was concerned with the importance of sensitive and timely communication, and was congruent with previous research findings. The other three themes, however, surfaced new understanding of the relative's experience. 'Making sense' focused on the participant's understanding of the experience of having a critically ill relative. 'Being with' was concerned with the desire of the participants to be with their loved one. 'Seeing' highlighted the importance of actually seeing the patient.