Descriptor 1: ‘The experience made me emotionally empowered’
The participants in this study perceived that having a critically ill family member in the ICU made them emotionally empowered. This was evident in one patient’s daughter’s narrative:Having a family member in the ICU emotionally-wise, I have to be the stronger one in the family. I always have a smile and letting them know, reassuring them that things are going to be fine… because you try to be strong for everybody else… So you want to reassure them… I have to hold everything together especially we all grew up together and my mother, my father brought us up always as being close. I think that’s something that you don’t want your loved ones to hurt.