O cuidado dispensado aos familiares na unidade de terapia intensiva

This study aimed to analyze the assistance offered to patients’ relatives in the Intensive Therapy Unit, as well as their expectations. It is a descriptive research, using a qualitative approach, which was accomplished with the relatives of eight patients, in the Intensive Care Unit of a municipal hospital in Rio de Janeiro, in 2002. Data has been obtained by means of semi-structured interviews. The results showed the need of welcome, warm human contact and affection by the professionals of the Intensive Care Unit to the patients. The relatives pointed out some dissatisfaction in relation to the visit’s timetable and required a better communication process.We concluded that it is important to humanize the assistance and to privilege new care models which value the process of communication with clients and their relatives, considering them also as subjects of the nursing care.