title: The experiences of emergency nurses in providing end-of-life care to patients in the emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Managing death in the emergency department is a challenge. Emergency nurses are expected to provide care to numerous patient groups in an often fast-paced, life-saving environment. The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of emergency nurses in providing end-of-life care, which is the care delivered to a patient during the time directly preceding death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from 25 emergency nurses during three focus group interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using the qualitative techniques of grounded theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten categories emerged from the data that described a social process for managing death in the emergency department. The categories were linked via the core category labelled 'dying in the emergency department is not ideal', which described how the emergency department was an inappropriate place for death to occur. To help manage the influence of the environment on end-of-life care, nurses reported strategies that included moving dying patients out of the emergency department and providing the best care that they could.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study highlight nurses' belief that the emergency department was not an appropriate place for death to occur. Despite being frequently exposed to death and dying, the actions and attitudes of emergency nurses implied the need or desire to avoid death in the emergency department.
authors: Monash University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia; Alfred Health, Emergency & Trauma Centre, Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia. Electronic address: kelly.decker@monash.edu.
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Decker
authors: Monash University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Lee
authors: Monash University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Peninsula Campus, McMahons Road, Frankston, Victoria 3199, Australia.
authors: Julia
authors: J
authors: Morphet
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001315:Australia; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: Dying patients; Emergency department; Emergency nurses; End-of-life care