title: Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: grief therapy or prolonged futility?
abstract: Nursing leaders are responsible in part for implementing procedures supporting family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Family presence has received broad support in nursing literature and from professional organizations. A case study suggests that, when a patient's spokesperson is struggling with the question of whether to set limits to treatments, allowing family presence may inappropriately prolong futile care.
authors.affiliation: North Shore Medical Center's Salem Campus Intensive Care Unit, MA 01970, USA. dasherman@partners.org
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Sherman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018447:Medical Futility; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014789:Visitors to Patients