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Nurses' conceptions of decision making concerning life-sustaining treatment
Marit Silén1, Mia Svantesson, Gerd Ahlström
1School of Health Sciences, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden. marit.silen@hhj.hj.se
Nursing Ethics
|February 15, 2008
Summary
Nurses find decision-making for life-sustaining treatments uncertain, lacking communication and collaboration. Improving physician-nurse teamwork and patient involvement is crucial for better end-of-life care decisions.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Medical Ethics
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Life-sustaining treatment decisions for dialysis patients are complex.
- Nurses play a critical role in patient care and decision-making processes.
- Understanding nurses' perspectives is essential for improving care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and describe nurses' conceptions of decision-making regarding life-sustaining treatment for dialysis patients.
- To identify challenges and facilitators in the decision-making process from the nurses' viewpoint.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative content analysis of semistructured interviews.
- 13 nurses from three hospitals participated.
- Focus on nurses' experiences with end-of-life treatment decisions.
Main Results:
- Nurses perceive decision-making as uncertain, with communication and collaboration deficits.
- Identified issues include insufficient physician-nurse collaboration, lack of confidence in physicians, and barriers to patient participation.
- Ambivalence exists regarding the role of patients' next of kin in decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Decision-making for life-sustaining treatments requires enhanced communication and collaboration among all stakeholders.
- Further research is needed to develop models supporting shared decision-making.
- The role of nurses in these critical decisions warrants further discussion and clarification.
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