title: Facing death in the intensive care unit. A phenomenological study of nurses' experiences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurses may experience considerable emotional burden due to patient death, in part as they are generally the professionals who have the most contact with patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the lived experience of Spanish nurses working in intensive care units regarding how they face the death of their patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative phenomenological study was performed. A purposeful sample was used. The data collection strategies used included in-depth unstructured and semi-structured interviews, field notes and personal documents. Afterwards, data were analyzed using the Giorgi proposal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  22 nurses participated, with a mean age of 40.8 years and a mean work experience of 13.8 years. Three themes were identified: 1) dealing with expectations of recovery, 2) accepting the age of death, and 3) experiencing emotional attachment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses in intensive care units report a great emotional burden derived from patients death, Support programs for nurses should be organised within these units.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nursing , Spanish Red Cross , Avda. Reina Victoria n°28, Madrid 28003 , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Velarde-García
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nursing , Spanish Red Cross , Avda. Reina Victoria n°28, Madrid 28003 , Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Luengo-González
authors.affiliation: a Department of Nursing , Spanish Red Cross , Avda. Reina Victoria n°28, Madrid 28003 , Spain.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: González-Hervias
authors.affiliation: b Department of Nursing , Universidad Europea , Calle Tajo s/n, Villaviciosa de Odon, Madrid 28670 , Spain.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cardenete-Reyes
authors.affiliation: c Servicio Madrileño de Salud, Nursing Division , Hospital Universitario La Paz , Paseo de la Castellana, 261, Madrid 28046 , Spain.
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvarado-Zambrano
authors.affiliation: d Department of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine , Universidad Rey Juan Carlos , Avenida Atenas s/n. 28922. Alcorcn, Madrid . Spain .
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palacios-Ceña
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003643:Death; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: attitude to death; burn-out; intensive care; nursing care