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Intensive Care Unit psychosis, the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship and the influence of the intensive care setting: analyses of interrelating factors
Author(s) -
DYSON MARTYN
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of clinical nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.94
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1365-2702
pISSN - 0962-1067
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2702.1999.00265.x
Subject(s) - delirium , intensive care unit , psychosis , nursing , intensive care , anxiety , confusion , nurse–client relationship , medicine , psychology , therapeutic relationship , psychiatry , depression (economics) , phenomenon , nursing care , psychotherapist , intensive care medicine , physics , quantum mechanics , psychoanalysis , economics , macroeconomics
• It has been estimated that between 12.5% and 38% of conscious patients admitted to critical care settings experience Intensive Care Unit psychosis, a condition which seems to resolve upon transfer to the ward. • This phenomenon was traditionally recognized when the patient outwardly exhibited abnormal behaviours and signs in the form of confusion, delirium, anxiety, depression, delusions and audiovisual hallucinations, yet it has been argued that due to the illness of the patient and their suppressed ability to communicate, such overt displays of unusual behaviour are the tip of the iceberg. • In recognizing this phenomenon, it is felt that a relationship exists between Intensive Care Unit Psychosis, the therapeutic nurse–patient relationship, and the environment in which nurses' interactions with their clients occur. • This paper will explore the interaction between these three elements while considering the implications for contemporary nursing practice.