Being a family member of a burn survivor – Experiences and needs

Abstract

Background Family members are important in the recovery process of persons with severe burns; however, few previous studies have focused on how this group experiences care and rehabilitation. Objective To explore family members’ experiences and needs, during the time in hospital and after discharge. Methodology Explorative study with a qualitative descriptive design. Ten semi-structured interviews with family members of injured persons treated at the national burn centres were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using content analysis. Findings Five categories were related to experiences during care: Experiencing excellent treatment and support, Experiencing mistrust and a rejecting attitude, Feelings of chaos and shock, Being the hub of the family network, Feeling hope and thankfulness. Three categories were related to experiences during rehabilitation: Ambiguous feelings, Multifaceted support and Handling the situation. Conclusion The experiences of the time in hospital and during rehabilitation are individual and comprise a mixture of positive and negative experiences and a diversity of needs. The results suggest that healthcare professionals should be proactive and identify specific needs for support as well as provide individualized treatment of family members.