J Korean Crit Care Nurs.  2017 Feb;10(1):41-50. 10.0000/jkccn.2017.10.1.41.

Critical Care Nurses' Perception of Life-sustaining Treatment at End of Life: A Content Analysis

• Koh CK
• Ko CM
• Park H

• KMID: 2397694
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.0000/jkccn.2017.10.1.41

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to describe what critical care nurses perceived about life-sustaining treatment at end of life.
METHODS
A qualitative content analysis method was utilized. The unit of analysis was interview text obtained from fifty critical care nurses of a general hospital.
RESULTS
Seven categories in two content areas were abstracted. In the negative perception area, the following five categories were abstracted: patients' suffering, dying with damaged dignity, patients' isolation from family members, regret about choosing life-sustaining treatment, and family members' burden. In the positive perception area, the following two categories were abstracted: willingness to sustain life and duty as family members.
CONCLUSIONS
Nurses have better competencies pertaining to understanding patients' responses and suffering than any other health care professions do. Nurses should play an important role in advocating for patients and their family in the process of end-of-life care decision making.

Keyword

Critical care nurse; Life-sustaining treatment; End-of-life decision making; Content analysis

MeSH Terms

Critical Care*
Decision Making
Delivery of Health Care
Hospitals, General
Humans
Methods