Objective
This study was conducted to investigate the basic needs and communication difficulties
of intubated patients in surgical intensive care units (ICUs) and to identify predictors
of the basic needs from the patient characteristics and communication difficulties.
Methods
In this descriptive correlational study, 80 surgical ICU patients were recruited and
interviewed using 3 structured questionnaires: demographic information, scale of basic
needs, and scale of communication difficulties.
Results
The intubated patients were found to have moderate communication difficulties. The
sense of being loved and belonging was the most common need in the intubated patients
studied (56.00 standardized scores). A significantly positive correlation was found
between communication difficulties and general level of basic needs (r = .53, P < .01), and another positive correlation was found between the length of stay in
ICUs and the need for love and belonging (r = .25, P < .05). The basic needs of intubated patients could be significantly predicted by
communication difficulties (P = .002), use of physical restraints (P = .010), lack of intubation history (P = .005), and lower educational level (P = .005). These 4 predictors accounted for 47% of the total variance in basic needs.
Conclusion
The intubated patients in surgical ICUs had moderate basic needs and communication
difficulties. The fact that the basic needs could be predicted by communication difficulties,
physical restraints, and educational level suggests that nurses in surgical ICUs need
to improve skills of communication and limit the use of physical restraints, especially
in patients with a lower educational level.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 16, 2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
