Intensive care survivors’ experiences of recovery after hospital discharge: A qualitative interview study

Abstract

To suffer from a critical illness or injury requiring treatment in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a traumatic experience that may affect patients and their relatives for a long time. This study aimed to explore intensive care survivors’ experiences of recovery after hospital discharge, from the patient perspective. A qualitative interview study with 12 interviews was conducted and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Four categories emerged from the data: Bodily changes, Emotional experiences, A prolonged struggle and Gratitude. The findings indicate that the life situation of intensive care survivors is changed, that recovery takes time and that the feeling of gratitude for having survived is strong.