ABSTRACT

The aim of cardiac surgery is to increase survival and quality of life of the patients. Patients should be under continuous nurse observation until their conditions stabilize. Intensive care patients are exposed to a variety of stresses related to the surgery and intensive care environment. Especially endotracheal intubated patients loose great deal of mobility and privacy in addition to ability of communication. Intubated patients feel that their lives depend on a machine and an unknown medical personnel, and probability of death is nearby. This feeling increases stress and even can lead them to intensive care psychosis. The risk of intensive care psychosis is reduced if patients are well communicated and their needs are well understood. This makes it important to choose the right method to establish a good communication. We use writing, submission, communication cards, family support, touching and informing methods to establish communication with intubated patients. The factors, which take role in the decision of the method to be used are those related to the physician and nurse. Our observations show that intubated patients, who are informed about their condition, contact their families and keep communication with nurses get more cooperative. This condition reduces the time intubated in intensive care. This paper is about our communication experiences on patients who are intubated in the intensive care unit of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Gülhane Military Medical Academy. Patients' experiences are expressed on their own words.