Doing one's utmost: Nurses’ descriptions of caring for dying patients in an intensive care environment

Striving for good nursing care

“…17,47 Several of the interviewed nurses mentioned the importance of treating the patient at the end of life with dignity, and they weighed this value against the risk of not having a dignified life after resuscitation. Obstacles to good nursing care mentioned were no clear decision on DNR and inadequate reporting and documentation which could cause unintended CPR.Other studies have shown that a dignified death for the patient is an important value for nurses 18 and that nurses strive to create a peaceful death where family members are allowed to participate. 44,45 This can be understood in the light of Henderson's 24 nursing theory, according to which one of the nurse's duties is to help the patient to a peaceful and dignified death if he or she cannot recover from illness.…”

Caring for the dying patient in the ICU – The past, the present and the future

“…Another positive side is the number of studies that demonstrates that holistic compassionate caring for dying patients and families has become embedded into usual practice (Fridh et al, 2009a;Gerritsen et al, 2013;Wall et al, 2007;van der Klink et al, 2010). Since ICU patients often are too ill to present themselves as individuals nurses rarely know the dying patient as a person (Fridh et al, 2009b). Therefore the patient becomes a person through the relatives' narratives about their loved ones and the relation nurses create with the dying patients' family members is perhaps unique (Popejoy et al, 2009;Ranse et al, 2012).…”

“…Such conversations can relieve guilt from the family members and help them to become reconciled with their loss. Furthermore, a follow-up meeting gives room for the involved staff and the families to take farewell with peace of mind (Fridh et al, 2009b;King and Thomas, 2013).…”

The Process of Death Imminence Awareness by Family Members of Patients in Adult Critical Care

“…Contrary to Fridh, Forsberg, and Bergbom, 2009, family members in this study faced death during the active dying process and not upon patient expiration. Fridh, Forsberg, and Bergbom (2009) …”