Hermeneutic phenomenology of lived experience of family caregivers of critically-ill patients sustained by healthcare technologies in Benin City, Nigeria

Background: Critical illness causes a severe financial impact on households not only because of illness-related inability to work but also because of the cost of medical care. Although the patients have the potential for recovery, they are usually presented with a life-threatening situation. Our study aimed to explore the lived experience of family caregivers caring for critically-ill patients. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, to explore the lived experience of ten family caregivers caring for critically-ill patients admitted to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-city in 2022. This study followed a hermeneutic phenomenological design using an in-depth interview of ten family caregivers who met the inclusion criteria: a family member who participated actively in the care was included. Data were collected, transcribed, and analyzed using Nvivo software and Paul Ricoeur’s theory for interpretation. Results: Based on Paul Ricoeur’s theory of interpretation, five themes were identified as the experience of family caregivers: caring neglect, psychological support, and words of encouragement, lack of confidence in nursing intervention, hopeless situation, and financial burden. Conclusion: This study shows that understanding the experience of family caregivers provides better and quality care. It also found that the hospital management needs to be aware of the identified caring neglect among family caregivers and provide a comprehensive health policy to accommodate their physiological needs while in the hospital