Although family members of patients generally believe they have a right to be present during resuscitation efforts, family presence continues to be controversial among health care professionals. To explore practices and attitudes, researchers surveyed 375 nurses, the "gatekeepers to the bedside," about their experiences with family presence. Forty-four percent of respondents worked on inpatient, non-critical care units (CCUs), 36% in CCUs, 7% in outpatient settings, and 6% in EDs. Among the findings:
* About 68% of respondents had never invited the family of a patient to be present during resuscitation.
* More than 20% had invited family presence at least once but fewer than 5 times.
* Less than 8% had invited family presence five times or more.
* The more often a nurse invited family to be present during resuscitation efforts, the more benefits she perceived.
* Nurses who worked in CCUs didn't differ in their perceptions of risks, benefits, or self-confidence from nurses who worked in non-CCUs.
* Nurses in the study were evenly divided on whether or not families have a right to be present.
* Nurses who held professional certification, worked in EDs, or were members of professional organizations saw more benefits and fewer risks and were more likely to invite family to be present than other nurses.
The researchers suggest that "increased participation in professional nursing organizations may provide greater exposure to current research and evidence-based practices related to family presence."
Sources: Samples Twibell R, et al., Nurses' perceptions of their self-confidence and the benefits and risks of family presence during resuscitation, American Journal of Critical Care, March 2008.