A phenomenological study to understand the experiences of nurses with regard to brainstem death.
METHODS
In this study six nurses from general intensive care units were interviewed. The resulting transcripts were analysed using hermeneutic phenomenology.


RESULTS
The findings fall into five categories, feelings, communication, protection, education, and technology. Nurses appear to suffer a degree of cognitive dissonance that both adds to their stress and leads to difficulties in explaining brainstem death to relatives.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses need more education and support to enable them to overcome cognitive dissonance and so give relatives honest information. Verbal information should be supplemented with a written information leaflet given to all relatives.
Ronayne
Christina
C
Gartnavel General Hospital, Great Western Road, Glasgow G12, United Kingdom. Christina.Ronayne@northglasgow.scot.nhs.uk
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis; D003073:Cognitive Dissonance; D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016294:Models, Nursing; D008960:Models, Psychological; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012606:Scotland; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires