The objective of this qualitative, exploratory research was to better understand nursing technicians' objections to patients' companions staying in the Intensive Care Unit. The subjects were 11 nursing technicians from all shifts. Data was collected in two meetings in March, 2008. The Discourse of the Collective Subject technique was used for analysis. After analysis, 2 main ideas (or anchor ideas) were apprehended: Anchor idea I shows that patients' companions represent a burden for technicians, and Anchor idea II shows that technicians feel unprotected in relation to them. It is concluded that the reasons which supposedly generate the conflict are not the relationship with the companion or the development of techniques under observation, but the professional undervaluing and the lack of support to perform daily tasks.
Intensive care units; Professional-family relations; Nursing, team; Patient escort service
