title: The role of ICU nurses in the spiritual aspects of end-of-life care in the ICU: an explorative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine the role and responsibilities of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses regarding the spiritual aspects of end-of-life care in the ICU, from the chaplains' perspectives.
  
  
  METHODS
  An explorative study including inductive thematic analysis was used. Two focus group interviews with in total eleven chaplains working in several Dutch ICUs were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The focus group interviews resulted in five themes: (i) awareness of ICU nurses, (ii) communication, (iii) nursing interventions, (iv) multidisciplinary care and (v) education. In total, twenty recommendations were formulated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This explorative study provides an overview of the perspectives of chaplains about the role of ICU nurses during end-of-life care, specified to spiritual care. Chaplains mentioned different roles, responsibilities and competences which are needed for ICU nurses to give spiritual care. These roles, responsibilities and competences included giving spiritual care to patients and families as standard care. Chaplains agreed that ICU nurses should start and maintain a dialogue with patient and families, but that it is also important to be aware of one's own spiritual background. However, education about spiritual care is needed to establish this. It could be recommended to educate ICU nurses during their ICU training or retraining about spiritual care and reflection.
authors.affiliation: Bachelor of Nursing, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, The Netherlands.|Research Department of Emergency and Critical Care, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Research Department Informal Care, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noome
authors.affiliation: Research Department Informal Care, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, The Netherlands.|Tranzo, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Deirdre M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Beneken Genaamd Kolmer
authors.affiliation: Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Evert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Emergency and Critical Care, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Intensive Care Unit, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Boukje M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Emergency and Critical Care, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.|Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lilian C M
authors.initials: LCM
authors.lastname: Vloet
mesh_terms: D002977:Clergy; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D013727:Terminal Care; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: end-of-life care; explorative study; intensive care units; nursing care; spiritual care