Abstract
Being a family member to someone who suffers from a serious illness can change one's perspectives about life. A sudden and severe illness can result in a demanding journey that involves acute admission to hospital, intensive care, post-care, and finally, returning home. To describe the experience of staying beside a next of kin throughout the healthcare journey, from the onset of illness at home, to the intensive care unit, post-care, and returning home. The study employed a qualitative design, with data collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. A purposive sampling was used to recruit participants (n = 14), who had experiences of staying beside a next of kin throughout the healthcare journey from the onset of illness to discharge from the hospital. Family members' experiences were captured under the overarching theme Journey through an emotional turmoil and the themes Entering a new world, Continuing the journey towards something unknown, and Striving for the new normal at home. They described going through a non-linear process, characterised by transitions or changes in several aspects. The transitions included shifts in the roles that the family members played, in the various environments they found themselves in, and in the progression of the patient's illness or injury. The study suggested that family members with a next of kin who experienced life-threatening situations undergo challenging transitions. The informal caregiver role placed on family members of intensive care unit-survivors significantly impacts their lives and the healthcare systems should prioritise providing high-quality support to family members throughout the entire healthcare journey. Elevating the importance of nursing care within the healthcare system can contribute to delivering holistic care and facilitating transitions. Further research should focus on understanding the support that family members perceive as necessary to facilitate their transition and enhance their well-being.
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