[Family in the waiting room of an intensive care unit revealed feelings].

This is a qualitative study that aims to understand the feelings of relatives of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The study was conducted in the ICU of a large general hospital in the western region of Santa Catarina. The data collection occurred in 2009 with a semi structured interview to eighteen families. For data treatment the collective subject discourse was used. Reports emerged of two items related to feelings: hospitalization in the ICU and while waiting to enter the unit. The analysis revealed feelings as pain, anguish, sadness, helplessness,fear, despair, anxiety and expectation infinite. It is hoped that these results may assist in the training of professionals, to host the family and its insertion in the ICU environment as an element to be integrated into nursing care, through actions welcoming, helping them to cope with hospitalization of a relative in a critical unit.