Lived experience of patients in ICU after cardiac surgery: A phenomenological study

Background: Cardiac surgery (CS) patients spend a significant amount of time in the intensive care unit (ICU). This event can be very overwhelming, with an intense emotional impact, causing vulnerability and a sense of helplessness in patients. Currently, the in-depth description of the ICU stay experience from a patient's own perspective is little studied, especially in the CS setting and using a qualitative approach in Italy. Aims: This study aimed to describe CS patients' lived experiences. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted between October 2018 and December 2019 using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Results: Eleven patients were interviewed during the months after discharge from the ICU. Four main themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: (a) will not wake up anymore; (b) endless time in ICU; (c) something keeps me from breathing; and (d) “anchor in the storm.” Results confirm the negative experience of patients in the ICU, mainly because of the extubating procedure. Nurses were found to play a key role in decisions, supporting and protecting patients from the psychological stress related to the ICU stay. Conclusion: This is the first study capturing ICU patients' lived experiences after a CS intervention with the use of interpretative phenomenology in Italy. Further investigations are warranted to systematically identify which approaches or strategies are essential to support these patients in the Italian context. Relevance to clinical practice: Our study's results could be useful for tailored care delivery to meet the real needs of Italian patients in the ICU after CS and, consequently, improve the quality of nursing care and patients' outcomes.