Logo image
Back
Family Involvement in Daily Rounds in the MICU (Medical Intensive Care Unit)
Dissertation

Family Involvement in Daily Rounds in the MICU (Medical Intensive Care Unit)

Jaicee Lyons
University of Iowa
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), University of Iowa
Spring 2026
pptx
DNP_Poster_Jaicee_LyonsDownloadView
Open Access Free to read and download

Abstract

Background: Over five million adults are admitted to U.S. ICUs each year, and up to 29% of those patients will die during their hospitalization. Delays in goals-of-care (GOC) discussions contribute to prolonged transitions to end-of-life care and increased distress for patients and families. Existing evidence supports structured family involvement in multidisciplinary rounds as a strategy to improve communication, shared decision-making, and alignment of care with patient values. Purpose: This evidence-based practice project aimed to integrate family involvement in daily multidisciplinary rounds in the MICU to improve communication, increase family engagement, and enhance the timeliness of GOC discussions. Methods: A structured, nurse-driven intervention invited family members to participate in multidisciplinary rounds in a 26-bed MICU at a large Midwestern community hospital, guided by the Iowa Model and supported through staff education, standardized invitation workflows, and electronic documentation prompts. Data included family participation rates, GOC documentation within 48-hours, and Family ICU Communication Survey (FICS) scores evaluate perceived communication quality. Findings: Among 581 admissions, 38% included family participation, which did not meet the predefined 50% benchmark. GOC documentation within 48 hours increased from 3.03% to 5.16% (p = .044) indicating improved timeliness of care discussions, although family presence was not independently associated with earlier documentation. Communication outcomes were highly favorable, with all FICS scores exceeding target benchmarks, reflecting strong family satisfaction and perceived engagement. Discussion: Family inclusion in rounds improved perceived communication and increased early GOC documentation. Even though participation goals were not met, 38% involvement demonstrated feasibility of implementing family in daily rounds. These findings highlight the value of structured, nurse-led interventions in advancing family-centered care in critical care settings and underscore the need for ongoing efforts to reduce logistical barriers, enhance consistency of family inclusion, and strengthen system-level processes that promote timely, patient-centered communication and decision-making.
 family rounds critical care goals-of-care communication end-of-life

Details

Metrics

1 Record Views
Logo image