Support needed by families during COVID-19 when a close relative is admitted to a health facility in the Khayelitsha district

Abstract

Professional nurses, as part of a multidisciplinary team in the community, have a vital role to play as providers of care for family members living in the same home, when they need support in circumstances where a relative is seriously ill and hospitalised. When a family member becomes ill, it affects the wellbeing of other family members, causing changes in the life of the whole family. It is therefore unclear how nurses support families during COVID-19 when a close relative is admitted to a health facility (hospital). Using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory developed by Molten (1979) and revised by Leske in 1991, most studies have confirmed the basic needs of relatives of patients. The nurse is able to be part of supporting families when working in a hospital or clinic. The purpose of the study was to understand the support needed by family members who had a close relative with COVID-19 admitted to a health facility. In this study the family member (participants) is residing in Khayelitsha and had their family relatives were admitted to any health facility in the Western Cape. A descriptive phenomenological research design was used. The accessible population was family members in Khayelitsha who had a close relative with COVID-19 admitted to a health facility. Phenomenological interviews were held with 11 participants. A pilot interview was conducted. The interviews took between 30–45 minutes to complete and took place at a time that was convenient for the clinics. Participants took part voluntarily and gave their informed consent. The transcripts and recordings did not have any form of identification on them apart from a number. Trustworthiness was ensured during the process of conducting the study and all ethical principles were adhered to. Data was analysed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method of coding. The transcripts were analysed by an independent coder, who reached consensus with the researcher on the themes and categories that emerged from the data.

The findings indicated that authentic information should regularly be made available to relatives to establish a trusting relationship with staff. This was to address the essential needs of family members, who had to be identified to assist in relieving their pain. The need of families for ‘nearness’ should be understood and means more than physical proximity to a close relative. Comfort should be given to the family members through comprehensively supporting them, to diminish feelings of hurt created by the unforeseen impact of COVID-19. It is concluded that family members should have a means of communication with a relative in hospital, as a lack thereof is an added traumatic event, apart from the original reason for admission of the relevant. Family-centeredness is a principle that should become practice and not just agreed with. The underlying thread throughout the report was that participants had experienced a sudden disruption to their family structure, leading to a measure of adjustment, which was hard to deal with. It is recommended that the professional nurses should assist family members in traumatic circumstances, by showing compassion in many ways. Trusting relationships is essential and can be demonstrated by nurses who show respect for human lives.