End-of-life care guidelines and care plans in the intensive care unit

The aim of this literature review was to examine end-of-life (EoL) care practice in the intensive care unit (ICU). By exploring the literature, it is hoped to suggest how national guidance can be integrated into the ICU setting. Delivering high-quality, patient-centred EoL care is high priority on the UK health agenda. The highly technological environment within the ICU can create barriers to recognising death and initiating EoL care planning. Despite recommendations in the literature for the integration of standardised guidance, implementation, compliance and evaluation are yet to be widely reported. This literature review highlights the need for ICU health professionals to embrace EoL guideline recommendations. Development of robust processes is vital to inform future practice.