Codman Award paper--the experience of intensive care unit nurses providing care to the brain dead patient

The brain dead patient is a by-product of advances in biomedical technology and the findings of this study confirm the view in the literature that caring for the brain dead patient is an emotionally laden process. This personal distress is directly related to two sources of inconsistencies. First, the nurse may possess coexisting beliefs, perceptions, values, opinions, knowledge and actions which are discrepant. Second, the nurse's personal values, knowledge, and behaviours may be in direct opposition to those of her nursing and medical colleagues and those of the family. The presence of the subjective tension results in the use of distancing tactics and/or the designation of a third person as the target of nursing care in an effort to reduce the personal and interpersonal dissonance.