Experiences and Emotions of Critical Care Nurses Toward Dealing with Patients and Their Families in Process of Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatments

Abstract

Introduction: Withdrawal of life-sustaining measures involves a complex balance of legal and ethical considerations and few healthcare providers have been specifically trained to withdraw life-sustaining measures. Aim of the study: This study was conducted to explore critical care nurses' experiences and emotions toward dealing with patients and their families in the process of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments. Research design: A Qualitative phenomenological design was used in this study. Subjects: A Purposive sample of 15 nurses of both sexes. The study has been conducted in seven critical care units at Ain Shams University Hospitals Tools: Open-ended semi-structured audio-recording interviews were utilized to collect data. Study results revealed that the sample age ranged from 24 to 38 years. Critical care nurses' experiences were reflected through 3 main themes and related subthemes. Results: The 3 main themes that shaped nurses' experiences were challenging emotions, nurses' role toward patients, and family support. Conclusion: Nurses had encountered several difficult feelings and experiences that shaped their experiences and emotions toward Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatments. Recommendations: Further qualitative and quantitative studies are recommended. The study should be replicated on a large sample in different hospital settings to generalize the results.