Critical Care and Emergency Department Nurses' Perceptions and Recommendations Regarding Risks, Challenges, and Facilitators of Family Presence During Resuscitation.

Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) represents a vital yet complex aspect of critical care, blending ethical, emotional, and clinical dimensions to enhance family engagement. Although FPDR offers significant benefits, such as fostering closure and transparency, addressing health care providers' concerns about potential disruptions and workflow challenges is essential to its effective and equitable implementation.This article investigated critical care and emergency nurses' perceived risks and challenges of FPDR and barriers to implementing FPDR, as well as suggested measures to enhance the implementation of this care approach.A qualitative descriptive approach was utilized using purposeful sampling to recruit critical care and emergency nurses from Midwestern US hospitals. Participants were interviewed using Zoom.Twenty-one nurses participated, predominantly female, White/non-Hispanic, with 1 to 25 years of experience and mostly bachelor-level education. The study identified 3 themes: risks and challenges of FPDR, barriers to its implementation, and recommendations for its facilitation.Participants highlighted barriers, challenges, and risks to FPDR, alongside facilitators such as institutional support, education, communication training, clear policies, family-related factors, assessment of family readiness, and designating a support person. Addressing these barriers and utilizing facilitators through education and strategic management can improve FPDR awareness and implementation in critical and emergency care.

Duke Scholars

Author Khaled Bader School of Nursing