EXPERIENCE REPORT ON COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT WITH RELATIVES OF CRITICAL PATIENTS IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

The present study presents an experience report of the case of João (fictitious name), who was admitted to the service with a demand for neurological investigation. He was diagnosed with a Grade 1 Central Nervous System Schwannoma, a non-cancerous tumor originating from Schwann cells. João underwent treatment, follow-up, and surgeries; however, due to a series of complications and multiple dysfunctions, he passed away. Owing to the patient’s illness, all care and attention were directed toward his family members. The objective of this work is to describe and analyze communication strategies with relatives of critical patients in the ICU. Based on the case analysis, the complexity of communication management among the patient’s family members becomes evident, as well as the difficulty resulting from the lack of adequate family support and the implications that internal family conflicts and communication noise can have on the understanding of the patient’s unfavorable clinical progression and on the denial of death and dying. It is concluded that psychological support plays a fundamental role in accompanying family members in the ICU, both in strengthening emotional bonds and helping them adapt to the context, as well as mediating between the patient, the family, and the healthcare team.