ICU Diary for Families

A Guided Journal for Reflections, Medical Notes, & Healing Together

Support, Reflect, Heal

Created by former critical care nurse and artist Nicole Cromwell, the ICU Diary is a supportive and research-informed journal designed to help families and caregivers process the emotional, medical, and mental stress of an ICU stay. Whether you're at the bedside or reflecting after discharge, this journal helps bring clarity to the chaos.

A Tool for Healing During and After the ICU

With over 25 years of ICU experience, Nicole saw firsthand how overwhelming critical care can be. She created the ICU Diary to help families:

Document daily updates and medical information
Reduce the risk of PTSD and confusion for patients
Manage caregiver anxiety and post-ICU syndrome (PICS-F)
Strengthen communication with healthcare teams
Foster emotional healing through journaling

"I created this journal so that families wouldn’t feel as lost as I often saw them become. The act of writing can ground us, calm us, and remind us that we’re not powerless." — Nicole Cromwell

Why ICU diaries help Patients and Families

ICU diaries have been shown to:

Reduce the risk of PTSD in ICU patients by more than 25%
Help families process trauma, grief, and exhaustion
Bridge memory gaps caused by sedation or delirium
Support long-term recovery from Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS)

ICU Diary for Families book cover and pages, showing hospital setting and holding hands

Peek at What’s Inside:

Daily medical log & vital updates
Questions for doctors & nurses
Emotional reflection pages
Messages for the patient
Patient reflection section
PICS education and aftercare guidance
“Getting to Know Me” page to customize for
your loved one

“Every person should have a copy of this book. The author is a nurse that witnessed people struggling with the process of having a loved one in intensive care. I gifted my copy to a friend that was overwhelmed with a family member in ICU. She said it was an unbelievable help to her their family.”

“As a nurse with 14 years experience in ICUs, I wholeheartedly endorse this thoughtful offering made for the tough times. The ICU Diary for Families not only supports patients and their families through their hospitalization and Post ICU Syndrome, it also helps the nurses who are caring for them. The diary decreases the workload of the ICU RN by providing visitors direction on how to organize their questions, appoint a family spokesperson, navigate multidisciplinary services and more. All of this information is presented in a way designed to help family members ground themselves and work with their emotions.”