Nurses' knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices concerning do not resuscitate status for hospitalized neonates.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices of neonatal intensive care unit nurses concerning do not resuscitate status for hospitalized neonates and to assess differences based on years of neonatal intensive care unit experience and educational background.


METHODS
Comparative descriptive design.


METHODS
Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit located in the northeastern United States.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 66 neonatal intensive care unit nurses.


METHODS
Nurses responded anonymously to an adapted pen and paper questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices regarding the care of hospitalized neonates with do not resuscitate status.


RESULTS
There was much ambiguity concerning the legal meaning of the term "do not resuscitate." Three fourths of respondents did not recognize do not resuscitate by its legal definition. A variety of attitudes/beliefs and care practices related to do not resuscitate designation was reported. Nurses with increased years of experience were less supportive of initiating certain aggressive care modalities for do not resuscitate patients. Responses regarding knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and care practices related to do not resuscitate designation for neonates did not appear to be influenced by the educational background of neonatal intensive care unit nurses.


CONCLUSIONS
Neonatal intensive care unit nurses need further education regarding the legal definition and scope of do not resuscitate orders in the clinical care of terminally ill neonates.
Bellini
Sandra
S
School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, 231 GlenbrookRoad, Office # 305, Storrs, CT 06269-2026, USA. sandra.bellini@uconn.edu
Damato
Elizabeth G
EG