ABSTRACT
SlNCE THE INCEPTION of the intensive care unit (ICU) over 30 years ago, there has been interest in the effects of the highly technologised environment on those who receive intensive care. In response, there is a growing body of literature directed towards understanding patients’ experiences in ICU. The earlier of these works, appearing in the late 1960s, focused on what was observed by physicians and nurses (Kornfeld 1969; McKegney 1966), rather than drawing on patients’ own experiences. Many subsequent studies, particularly those conducted during the 1980s, focused on the identification of stressors confronting patients in ICU (Baker 1984; Chyun 1989; Cochran & Ganong 1989; Gries & Fernsler 1988; Kleck 1984; Simpson et al. 1989; Wilson 1987). Although this approach is problematic because it focuses on the negative rather than the positive aspects of the experience, it constitutes the main body of literature directed towards understanding patients’ experiences of ICU. Stressors consistently identified include pain, sleeplessness, noise, bright lights, the inability to communicate, confusion, distressing memories, dreams, hallucinations, fear, anxiety, uncertainty and technology. While there is some agreement among these studies in relation to the nature of the stressors identified, there is discrepancy as to the extent to which each stressor is considered to be a problem.
