Understanding grief and trauma
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Understanding grief and trauma
Chapter 2: Strategies to assess and engage with families
Evaluating family needs
Is the family in distress?
Common causes for family distress:
The patient was recently diagnosed with a life-threatening illness or acute health crisis or is critically injured or made a suicide attempt.
There has been a progression of an underlying disease.
The patient is unresponsive.
The patient has delirium.
The family member does not understand why the patient was admitted to ICU or has been given conflicting information.
Clinician Tip
“Listen, listen, and then listen some more. You’re never going to know what they need unless you listen. Sometimes people want you to sit with them and some don’t. Just physically being in the room can help”. - ICU Nurse
