The Roy Adaptation Model (Roy, 2009) is a guide for nurses to identify and assess behaviours in each of the four modes of adaptation, namely: physiologic, self-concept, role function and interdependence. The findings from this study support the need for comprehensive assessment of the critically ill patients and their family members in the ICU during critical illness, thus enabling family-centred care by nurses. This phenomenological study shed light on the meaning of the intensive care unit experience during critical illness from the perspectives of patients, their family members, and the nurses. Although results of qualitative studies should not be generalised to broader populations, this researcher believes that the knowledge gained from this study may be of benefit to nursing practice, education, and future research. This study supports the tenets of family-centred care, which mandates the purposeful inclusion of the family in all aspects of care such as including them in interdisciplinary rounds and discharge planning. Implications from the data also suggest flexible and open visitation and family presence during emergency and invasive procedures.