A phenomenological study on the lived experiences of families of ICU patients, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The study gave an insight on the multiple and interrelated challenges faced by families of ICU patients admitted in the hospitals of Addis Ababa. Further contextualized interpretation of their experiences revealed that families were somehow in a state of despair and they implicitly need the ICU care for their family member be ended irrespective of the potential clinical consequences on the patient. The philosophy of family-centered care be advocated in hospitals. The study result affirms the need to include family members during nursing assessment of patients in ICUs and also offers the basis for guidelines development on informational support to the families of the patients hospitalized in ICUs.