title: ICU nurses' preparation of families for death of patients following withdrawal of ventilator support.
abstract: Intensive care unit nurses were asked how they prepared families for the death of their patient following withdrawal of mechanical ventilation. Forty-three descriptors were identified, of which 67.5% (n = 29) were "physical sensations and symptoms." Less frequently mentioned features of Self-Regulation Theory were temporal characteristics, environmental features, and causes of these signs. Eight descriptors mentioned by more than 50% of nurses were skin color changes (74%), skin temperature changes (74%), varying levels of consciousness (74%), effort with breathing (71%), variable timeframe to death (68%), breathing pattern (65%), sound during breathing (61%), and loss of bowel control/incontinence (52%).
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, School of Nursing, Madison, WI 53792-2455, USA. ktkirchoff@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Karin T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kirchhoff
authors.forename: Kay Lynn
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Conradt
authors.forename: Prashanth Reddy
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Anumandla
mesh_terms: D001293:Attitude to Death; D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000523:psychology*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D028761:Withholding Treatment