<b>Perioperative care in patients undergoing brain surgery: family caregiver's perspective</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i3.20257

Abstract

The aim of this study was to reveal the meaning attributed to family caregivers of patients undergoing neurological surgery. This is a survey of qualitative descriptive and exploratory approach, carried out with ten family members of hospitalized patients in an inpatient unit of a University Hospital. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and submitted to discourse analysis proposed by Martins and Bicudo. After analysis of speeches, three categories emerged: the family involvement in care; how the family perceives the care given to the patient by the professionals, and the family's perception about the care received as a family. The results reveal that the families of hospitalized neurosurgical patients usually take part in the caregiving process in various moments of hospitalization and they identify communication as a relevant aspect in the process. Family members also realize the loving and compassionate care given as well as the absence of it. This study calls the attention to the extremely relevant issues, and makes us reflect on the importance of including the family of a patient who suffered neurosurgery as an integral part of our object of care.