STRESSORS IN ICU - PATIENTS EVALUATION

Objective: To study the physical and psychological stressors in the in tensive care unit (ICU) and to correlate stressors with different demo graphic variables. Design. Cross-sectional analytical survey. Setting: Intensive care unit of a private hospital. Patients and participants: 50 randomly selected ICU patients during the first week of their ICU stay. Measurements and results: The Intensive Care Unit Environmental Stressor Scale was administered to 50 patients. Pain and the impossibi lity of sleeping due to noise and having tubes in the nose and mouth w ere considered the most important physical stressors. Loss of self con trol and lack of understanding about the attitudes and procedures were the main psychological stressors. Conclusions: Interventions should b e aimed at relieving the patient's pain and at controlling the level o f noise to make sleep possible. From the psychological standpoint, the independence of the patient should be encouraged, thus stimulating th e recovery of self-control. The team should also inform the patient ab out the procedures which will be carried out.