Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to understand the meanings and nature of ICU admission experienced among patients with critical illness. The present study adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological method which was developed by van Manen.
METHODS
The participants for this study were 6 men and 3 women, who were over the age of 20 with ICU admission period more than 3 days. Data were collected by using in-depth interviews and observations from March, 2007 to September, 2007. The contents of the interviews were tape-recorded with the consent of the subject.
RESULTS
The essential themes that fit into the context of the 4 existential grounds of body, time, space and other people were as follows: a body that cannot react the way it wants, a wave of fear and insecurity everywhere, a struggle to survive, coming out from death's door, loss of time path, a long and continued waiting until escaping, more of machinery room than a patient's room, existence of life and death, an abyss of suffering seen thru another patient, taken care of by a doctor, trust and distrust, family, the ultimate safe zone.
CONCLUSION
Critically ill patients in ICU experienced feelings of discomfort, unsafety, and insecurity. The result of this study can give nurses some insight into these experiences and help promote empathetic care.

• Keywords: Critical illness; Intensive care units; Qualitative research