Nurses' coping strategies during and after an adult in-hospital resuscitation attempt: A scoping study

A scoping study was conducted to identify and synthesise literature about nurse coping strategies during and after cardiopulmonary resuscitations (CPRs).

Nurses frequently engage in CPR events that often lead to patient deaths thereby negatively impacting nurses' mental and physical health compromising patient safety. Little research has been conducted to explore coping strategies nurses use during and after a CPR event.

Arksey and O'Malley's framework was used to guide the review process and PRISMA-ScR checklist for reporting the study.

A comprehensive search (January 1, 1996 - August 1, 2021) using ProQuest, PsychINFO, CINAHL and PubMed databases to locate peer-reviewed publications that met the study's inclusion criteria. We included publications of data collected from nurses who experienced a non-simulated adult CPR event in an acute or critical care hospital setting. Lazarus and Folkman's Ways of Coping Checklist, based on the transactional theory of stress and coping, was used to guide data analysis and categorise and label the coping strategies used by nurses.

The search returned 2689 articles, and nine articles comprised the sample after excluding duplicates, titles, abstracts and full-text articles not meeting the inclusion criteria. Nine articles were reviewed to identify the coping strategies used by nurses during and after a CPR event. These strategies were grouped into eight categories.

When resuscitation was successful, the experience carried little to no stress. The coping strategy most often used during a resuscitation attempt was planful problem solving. The coping strategies used after a failed resuscitation attempt were planful problem solving and seeking social support. Nurses reported that debriefing sessions were not desirable venues for discussing post-resuscitation stress.

The provision of support by employers and colleagues must be intentionally planned and offered to nurses exposed to the stress induced by unsuccessful attempts at CPR.