The ICU patient diary-A nursing intervention that is complicated in its simplicity: A qualitative study

Background: Writing a diary for intensive care patients has been shown to facilitate patientrecovery and prevent post-traumatic stress following hospitalisation. Aim: This study aimed to describe the experiences of critical care nurses' (CCNs') in writing personal diaries for ICU patients.. Method: The study was conducted with a qualitative design. Ten CCNs from two hospitals participated. Data were collected with semi-structured interviews and analysed using a qualitative thematic content analysis. Findings: The result consists of a theme: Patient diary: a complex nursing intervention in all its simplicity, as well as four categories: Writing informatively and with awareness shows respect and consideration; The diary is important for both patient and CCN; To jointly create an organisation that facilitates and develops the writing; Relatives' involvement in the diary is a matter of course. Conclusion: CCNs are aware of the diary's importance for the patient and relatives, but experience difficulties in deciding which patients should get this intervention and how to prioritize it. Writing a personal diary for an ICU patient is a nursing intervention that is complicated in its simplicity. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.