Family witnessed resuscitation - experience and attitudes of German intensive care nurses

Abstract

Health professionals have anxieties about possible consequences of FWR, strategies involving education and simulation training may improve attitudes.

Should Family be Allowed During Resuscitation

“…Nurses with previous experience of family presence opposed the practice more than nurses with no previous experience (P = 0.001). However, this was not the case where ICU health care providers with previous experience of family presence during resuscitation were found to be more supportive of the practice, compared to the health care providers with no previous experience [28]. Authors maintained that the Islamic religion and the Saudi culture inluenced the nurses' atitudes towards the practice of family presence [30].…”

“…Authors from Germany conducted another descriptive survey study to explore the German intensive care nurses' experiences and atitudes towards family presence during resuscitation [28]. The study used the questionnaire which was developed by Fulbrook et al [12]; however, a fourth section was added to allow delegates to further write any additional concerns related to the issue.…”

“…The health care providers reported a need for training programmes to support the family when they atend resuscitation [30][31][32]. A number of studies also emphasised the need to develop educational programmes for medical staf on the safe implementation and practice of family presence [12,24,28]. The health care providers also indicated the need to develop policies to support family involvement and give family the option to atend resuscitation [31].…”

Integrative Literature Review- Nursing Interventions in the Stress Control of the Family of the Sick Person in a Critical Condition

“…The nursing interventions are described in an uneven manner, framed in different moments of care to the family, as the time of hosting the family (Rinaldi et al, 2014;Knapp et al, 2013;Choi et al, 2013;Davidson, 2010;Davidson, 2009;Stayt, 2009), the family's preparation for decision-making (Khalaila, 2014;Iverson et al, 2014;Knapp et al, 2013), accompanying the family when watching the sudden clinical worsening of their relative, namely witnessing cardio-respiratory resuscitation (Rinaldi et al, 2014;Beer &Moleki, 2012;Köberich et al, 2010) and in acute cases of delirium (Black et al, 2011), and finally in the family preparation for the death of their family member (Bloomer & O'Connor, 2012;Beer &Moleki, 2012;Köberich et al, 2010;Hickman et al, 2010). According to the study by Knapp et al (2013, p.1) based on the scientific evidence a "family bundle" was created to be applied by nurses when providing care to the family of the people in critical condition, based on the five principles "Evaluate, Plan, Involve, Communicate and Support (EPICS)" that proved capable of promoting the reduction of stress, contributing to the family coping.…”

“…Bloomer & O'Connor (2012), Köberich et al (2010) and Hickman et al (2010) enhance that the nurse assumes a decisive position in family support in a death situation, and even after death, for his intervention should contribute to the awareness of the moment as a normal life cycle process and to help people find meaning in what they are experiencing, aware of the important contribution that this intervention was to prevent pathological mourning processes. The results emerging from this literature review clarify the answer to the research question, revealing that taking care of families of people in critical situation is an important intervention area where nurses are key in the management and control of stress potentiated by these moments of crisis.…”