title: Australian Emergency Department health professionals' reasons to invite or not invite Family Witnessed Resuscitation: a qualitative perspective.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Debate continues regarding the effectiveness of Family Witnessed Resuscitation and little is known about the reasons why staff invite family presence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Explore why health professionals invite or not invite Family Witnessed Resuscitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive qualitative study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three open-ended questions enabled 114 clinicians to describe why they would or would not invite family presence. Data were analysed using qualitative data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four themes representing factors that influenced staff decision to invite or not invite Family Witnessed Resuscitation were identified: motivating factors, personal choice, staff judgment, and organisational factors. Motivating factors described reasons to invite family presence, and staff and organisational factors were reasons to not invite family presence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Family presence can be beneficial for staff and family and is likely to be motivated by family-specific factors where this choice is appropriate for all stakeholders. Participants described factors that can impact on the appropriateness of inviting family presence and these need to be considered before an invitation is extended.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To support all parties throughout the process it is imperative that a skilled support person be available to the family and that written policies and guidelines be available for staff.
authors.affiliation: Southern Health, Victoria, 135 David Street, Dandenong, Vic. 3175, Australia; Australian Catholic University, Level 3, 115 Victoria Parade, Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy MDC, Vic. 3065, Australia(1). Electronic address: rose.chapman@southernhealth.org.au.
authors.forename: Rose
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, Joondalup Health Campus, Shenton Avenue, Joondalup, Western Australia 6027, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bushby
authors.affiliation: Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Rochelle
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Hollywood Private Hospital, Monash Avenue, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Combs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012151:Resuscitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Doctor; Emergency Department; Family Witnessed Resuscitation; Family presence; Invite; Nurse; Qualitative