Shirley Strachan-Jackman
University Health Network,Canada
Nurse Practitioner,TWH Emergency
Title: Family Presence during Resuscitation: To Be or Not To Be
Biography
Biography: Shirley Strachan-Jackman
University Health Network,Canada
Abstract
Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) is an area that has gained increased attention over the past few decades. For years the question that is under debate is, “Should health care providers recommend family presence during resuscitation or should they recommend against it.†In North America, traditional paternalistic views have prevented the practice of the more family-centred approach of FPDR, where as in the UK 79% of emergency departments (EDs) allowed FPDR. Although FPDR has been accepted as best practice by the Emergency Nurses’ Association and the American Heart Association, fears concerning increased liability for the institution, and practitioner fears such as disruption of clinical activities and lack of space for the family and staff, have prevented many institutions from offering the option to family members.
Although incorporating family practice into resuscitation events can be challenging, our philosophy at Toronto Western Emergency is that families should be given the opportunity to be in the room in what may be the last minutes of their loved one’s life. Our belief is that FPDR will allow for a final goodbye by a spouse, sibling, adult child or parent who can’t fathom being separated at the moment of death. Thus our service provides a dedicated nurse to provide guidance, explanation and support to the family members who decide to remain in the room during a resuscitation event. As a new practice, we were interested in better understanding members’ experiences.
This presentation will discuss the findings of our phenomenological study that was undertaken to describe†the lived experiences of families when given the choice to be present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)†in the emergency department setting. Six relatives or significant others elected to stay with their family member during the resuscitation and participated in a semi-structured personal interview within 3 months of the event. Findings will be discussed in light of practice, education and future research needs.