Family members feel a natural inclination to protect their loved ones and can serve an important role in patient safety in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, family members are occasionally excluded from this role by restrictive policies or public health concerns that keep them away from the bedside. In order to include families in a way that can maximize patient safety, healthcare providers must encourage the following: (1) family members must be allowed to be present in the ICU and included during rounds, procedures, and bedside care; (2) family members need to be empowered to speak up if something is not going well with their loved one or if they are concerned about a potential error; and (3) family members need to be given a role to play in development of hospital safety policy and plans that would encourage these actions, such as through patient family advisory councils (PFACs).