Acompañamiento al paciente en estado crítico percepción del familiar/ cuidadores sobre puertas abiertas

The objective of this study was to analyze the perception of family members/caregivers on the accompaniment of the critically ill patient in the intensive care unit. It had a qualitative approach a descriptive study method, with a phenomenological approach. Ten family members of patients admitted to the Unit participated in the study, employing non-probabilistic sampling by convenience and category saturation. The instrument was a semi-structured interview. Colaizzi's method was used. Results: 4 categories emerged: perception of family/caregivers on the accompaniment of the critically ill patient in the intensive care unit, elements that benefit an open-door ICU for the patient, family and health personnel, outstanding aspects that would improve communication between the critically ill patient and the family with an open-door ICU, elements that limit the use or usefulness of open doors in intensive care units. Final considerations: Proper education and communication with the family members will make the ICU stay more pleasant, reduce the stress levels of the patient and companion, and motivate the nurse to recover. To open the doors of the ICU, it is necessary to train the professionals and the family members to guarantee patient safety.