Part B: A survey of staff attitudes immediately post-resuscitation to Family Presence during resuscitation

Summary 

Background

In March 2007 part of a staff attitudes to Family Presence during resuscitation project were presented as part of a 3-year research project examining the relatives and staff attitudes to family presence during resuscitation (Holzhauser K, Finucane J, De Vries SM. Family presence during resuscitation: a randomised controlled trial of the impact of family presence. Australas Emerg Nurs J 2006;8(4):139–147). This article presents the results of staff attitudes immediately post-resuscitation.

Methods

This study is a descriptive study using survey methods. Outcome measures were advantages and disadvantages of family present and absent from the resuscitation room during resuscitation. The setting of the study was the emergency department of a major tertiary referral teaching hospital in Queensland. Participants were any staff member present during resuscitation of a patient that meets the inclusion criteria for the study.

Results

Staff reported there were more advantages than disadvantages to having relatives present during resuscitation. These included being able to get a history quickly (23%), the patient was comforted by having relatives’ present (14.9%), the relatives benefited by being present (25.7%) and thought it was easier to manage family while they were present (9.9%).

Conclusions

Surveying staff immediately post-resuscitation identified advantages and disadvantages of family presence that reflect other research projects. One new theme was identified that is not reflected it the literature and that related to the improved ability to manage family while they were present.

Keywords: Resuscitation, Family presence, Staff attitudes