Johanna J.

Mrs. Johanna J., a single mother, had to be admitted to the intensive care unit as an emergency case. With acute shortness of breath, she was dependent on ventilation and intensive medical treatment for many weeks. A lot of patience was needed to cope with this long time on equipment, helplessness and subsequent rehabilitation. She found great support in her family and children.

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VIDEO

Competence

Even when she was impatient, Mrs. Johanna J remembered the great work of the team.

Video Interview

TRANSCRIPT

E : Giving up was never an option right from the start. I never doubted that it wouldn't happen again. I never thought it would turn out as well as it has now. But I also knew that I just had to keep going. There's nothing else. I : Brave. What feelings do you have when you think back to the intensive care unit? If you wanted to say something now. That's actually why we're together now. What would you want to say to the team? What is important? E : I've always said to them downstairs, keep up the good work! You're doing it right and I want to show myself at the end. I said, look! Your work has paid off. I'm in such good shape again. The only thing I would say is that they should use the word ‘patience’ less. We know that. And perhaps we should work more with time specifications. When you come in, for example, say it's now afternoon, at two o'clock. Because we have, well, I, I had no sense of time at all and so you know, ah, now it's afternoon and you don't have the feeling that it's now night when it's a bit dark outside in winter. But it's five o'clock in the evening. I would just say that. I couldn't say anything else about the health institution_2. They're doing the right thing in my eyes and it was good for me, the way it was.

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Mrs. Johanna J. was between dreams and confusion.

Because Mrs. Johanna J. was so confused, she had great difficulty classifying the situation in the intensive care unit.

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Mrs. Johanna J. remembers through a diary.

Ms. Johanna J. recounts memories from a diary written for her by ICU staff.

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Inability to communicate

In Mrs. Johanna's case, the protective balm on her eyes prevented communication with her eyelids. She could hear, but not transmit her feelings and sensations back. Eventually, she resigned herself to this helpless situation.

Communication issues in the intensive care unit (ICU)

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Feeling of fear and being ignored

Mrs. Johanna J explains that one of the nurses had a communication relationship that didn't take account of calls or sleep periods. This caused both a feeling of fear and of being ignored.

Communication issues in the intensive care unit (ICU)

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The team's main focus is on the machines

Mrs. Johanna J.'s sense of helplessness was total: not only could she do nothing herself, but she was also unable to convey her difficulties to the clinical team, whose attention was focused on the vital data from the devices.

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Experiences in Intensive Care

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Patients are delighted to be included

Mrs. Johanna J. was happy to participate in decisions, even if only by nodding. This has helped to create a situation of trust.

Good to know to improve intensive care unit (ICU) patient experience

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Johanna J.

Competence

Even when she was impatient, Mrs. Johanna J remembered the great work of the team.

Emotional events and experiences to take home with you

Experiences in Intensive Care

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