Support and reassurance needs: strategies for practice.

Support and personal needs have been empirically validated as two of the most important family need categories during critical illness. Perhaps over-shadowed during the initial critical care phase by a need for relief of initial anxiety and reassurance of quality care and information, support needs emerge as family members recognize the impact of the stressful illness experience on themselves. Critical care nurses can provide social support to family members through family assessment, counseling, and support groups. Although not empirically tested, it is generally believed that such support will influence the ability of family members to provide support to the patient and thereby influence a positive recovery from critical illness.