Spirituality and Support for Family Presence During Invasive Procedures and Resuscitations in Adults

Abstract

Background Many health care professionals believe that they provide holistic care. The role of spirituality, a known variable of holism, has not been explored in relation to the support among health care professionals for family presence during invasive procedures and resuscitative efforts in adults. Objective To determine the relationship between spirituality of health care professionals and their support for family presence during invasive procedures and resuscitative efforts in adults. Methods In this descriptive correlational study, 108 participants (physicians, physician assistants, and nurses) completed the Howden Spirituality Assessment Scale and a survey to measure their support for family presence. Results A significant positive relationship was found between spirituality and support for family presence during resuscitative efforts in adults (r = 0.24, P = .05) and a significant negative correlation was found between support for family presence and the age of the health care professional (r = -0.27, P = .01). No significant correlations were found between any of the study variables and invasive procedures in adults. Conclusions Adopting a more holistic perspective may support family presence, especially during resuscitative efforts in adults. Allowing the option for patients' families to remain present promotes holistic family-centered care. (American Journal of Critical Care. 2009;18:357-367) 3. Discuss how to implement formal policies and education for health care professionals that allow family presence during invasive procedures and resuscitation.

Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: who should decide?

“…Authors have investigated FPDR prospectively or retrospectively through the standpoints of three groups: professionals, family members and patients. Among professionals, who mainly oppose FPDR,8–18 nurses tend to favour FPDR more than physicians10 19 and experienced physicians tend to favour FPDR more than inexperienced ones 9 13 20 21. Interestingly, most professionals want to be present during the CPR of their own loved ones 22…”

Review of Evidence About Family Presence During Resuscitation

“…14 Instead, investigators found a positive correlation between spirituality of nurses, physicians, and physician assistants (PAs) and support for FPDR, and found older HCPs tended to be less supportive of FPDR. 14 Other researchers elucidated acute care nurses' beliefs about FPDR using interviews. 15 Analysis resulted in identification of 4 themes: conditions for FPDR, use of FPDR to force decision-making by family, staff's sense of being watched, and impact of FPDR on family.…”

Family presence during resuscitation

“…1 Common advantages of family presence identified by nurses were that families grasp the seriousness of the patient's condition, they see that everything is being done for their loved one, and they move more positively through the grieving process. 4 Another stated, "nurses felt family had a right to be present, and would rather be present themselves if their family member needed resuscitating." 6 Articles regarding nurses' perspectives on family presence were also identified.…”