Family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: grief therapy or prolonged futility?
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.
Sherman
David A
DA
North Shore Medical Center's Salem Campus Intensive Care Unit, MA 01970, USA. dasherman@partners.org
D000368:Aged; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018447:Medical Futility; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D014789:Visitors to Patients