Dear Dr Niemczyk and Dr Ozga,
Thank you for your commitment to this topic; it is very encouraging that family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) is a topic of growing interest worldwide. Based on the data in your letter, it appears that FPDR is rarely practiced in Poland. You reported that only 3.2% of the 465 intensive care unit nurses had invited FPDR, yet 21.81% of these nurses had received requests for it. This indicates that family-centered care, in which family members are "encouraged and supported in participating in care and decision-making at the level they choose,"1 is not consistently being practiced. Thus, your research on this topic is important to facilitate more discussion on FPDR to encourage all practitioners to improve family-centered care practices and family member outcomes.
Studies have shown that education can improve intensive care unit nurses' perceptions and self-confidence for FPDR. However, there is a need for more research on educational interventions to determine the best approach. Supporting families during resuscitation is a unique phenomenon. Many questions still exist. Should nurses passively receive knowledge on FPDR (such as in the classroom), or would they be better able to support families if they practiced it (such as a simulation)? In addition, nurses may not regularly need to implement FPDR depending upon patient acuity in their setting-how often do these nurses require education on FPDR to prevent decay of their skills for supporting the family? Questions such as these remain unanswered and require further study. In addition, a recent systematic review of the literature on FPDR educational interventions did not reveal any studies conducted in Poland.2 Implementing FPDR in different cultural contexts may require different education for nurses and global study on this topic is vital.
Thank you for writing to Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing, and keeping the topic of FPDR in discussion. Expanding awareness and discussions on a global front is important and can lead to partnerships that stimulate multinational research. I support your efforts and enthusiastically welcome opportunities to collaborate.
Sincerely,
Kelly A. Powers, PhD, RN, CNE
University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, North Carolina
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