Patients' and Caregivers' Perceptions of Intensive Care Unit Hospitalization and Recovery.

BACKGROUND: Telehealth-based intensive care unit recovery clinics (ICU-RCs) can increase access to post-ICU recovery care for patients and their families. It is crucial to understand patients' and caregivers' experience of illness and recovery to build patient- and family-centered ICU-RCs. OBJECTIVE: To explore patients' and caregivers' perceptions of ICU hospitalization and recovery. METHODS: Individual semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 14 patients and 12 caregivers who participated in a telehealth ICU-RC. This study was guided by qualitative description methodology. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Patients described their ICU hospitalization as scary, traumatic, and lonely. Participants' feedback on hospitalization ranged from praise to criticism. Patients wanted more realistic and detailed prognostication about post-ICU recovery and more physical therapy after discharge. Patients strongly valued the mental health component of ICU-RC visits, which contrasted with the scant attention paid to mental health in other postdischarge health care settings. Their knowledge about post-ICU recovery and connectedness to a primary care provider varied. CONCLUSIONS: Examining patients' and caregivers' perceptions of ICU hospitalization and recovery highlights ICU-RC components that can be strengthened to support patient- and family-centered recovery. The ICU-RC staff should invite patients to share feedback about their ICU stay; give a timely, realistic prognosis for recovery; offer mental health consultations; provide physical therapy; and partner with patients and their caregivers to develop and deliver post-ICU care.

Perceptions of Sexual and Gender Minority Content in Graduate Nursing Curricula.

AIM: The aim of the study was to evaluate how faculty and nursing students perceive the importance of including sexual and gender minority (SGM) content in graduate curricula. BACKGROUND: Nurses in education and practice must be culturally sensitive to the unique populations we serve and to the diversity represented in all health care environments. METHOD: Online secure web-based surveys were distributed to graduate nursing faculty and students in 2015 and 2017 employing a triangulated methodology. RESULTS: Faculty and students responded that basic content and knowledge of clinical care for SGM populations are important. Thematic analysis of open-ended questions provided suggestions for improvement in curricula and within the learning environment. CONCLUSION: Continued development of faculty knowledge and application of SGM content in nursing curricula must meet student expectations and health needs of SGM populations.