The Effect of Family Visits on Stress Responses of Patients and Their Families in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

가족면회가 심장 중환자실 환자와 가족의 스트레스 반응에 미치는 효과

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of family visits upon the stress response of patients and their families, Methods: This study was the interrupted time series design, The subjects consisted of 197 patients and 197 family members in the cardiac intensive care unit of S Hospital in Bucheon. Physiological stress responses such as blood pressure, heart rates, respiration rates, and oxygen saturation were measured using HP monitors. VAS was used to measure the emotional stress. Collected data was analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA, t-test by SPSS 17.0 statistical program. Results: The family visits did not change patients' blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration rate and oxygen saturation, However the anxiety level of patients and their family members were decreased significantly during family visits. Furthermore, 30-minute family visit reduced more effectively patient's anxiety than 15-minute family visit. Conclusion: Family visits need to be used as a means of nursing intervention to ease the emotional stress of patients and their families. In addition, increasing of visiting time should be considered.