Psychological Experiences of critically ill patients and their attitudes towards Nurses and Doctors in ICU & CCU

Abstract

Experiences of the critically ill patients in the ICU and CCU. is an important aspect of the quality of care and has its impact on the patient’s life. The results of critical care are usually discussed interms of survival, yet survival per se is a poor indicator of the impact of therapy for a selected disease process. Critically ill patients in the ICU and CCU have different behaviours and attitudes towards the staff attending for them. These behaviours and attitudes are sometimes observed by the staff but often pass unnoticed. The development of medical technology and increasing number of invasive and non-invasive monitoring systems has increased the technical aspects of care (Burffit SN and Turner JS) (1,2). This could result in a shift of the nurse’s focus, from psychological needs to more physical needs of the patient (Pearce J) (3). It has been suggested that not only technical life saving procedures, but also the perception and support of the patient influence the outcome of ICU (4). Both verbal and non verbal communication especially touching can contribute greatly to the patient’s emotional stability thus being a major part of patient’s care (4-6). On one hand psychological factors influences physical illness on the other hand physical problems e.g. head injuries may precipitate a minor or major psychological disorder. Psychotherapy sometimes relief’s pain which does not respond to the commonly used pain killers. This type of pain usually has no organic origin and it has been shown that anxiety can precipitate headache and chest pain and depression can be presented with backache or muscle cramps.