The effect of an educational intervention on nurses' opinions regarding family presence during resuscitation

Abstract

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Emergency Nursing Association (ENA) encourage health care providers to give family members the option of being present during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of a loved one. There are differing opinions regarding this practice among nurses, which could inhibit consistency in operationalizing family presence during resuscitation (FPDR). The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine nurses’ opinions regarding FPDR before and after implementation of an educational program and to determine if nurses’ opinions differed after receiving education on the AHA and ENA guidelines. This study was a replication of Mian, Warchal, Whitney, Fitzmaurice, and Tancredi’s (2007) study. The sample included nurses (n = 200) who worked in the emergency, critical care, and cardiology units in one large teaching hospital in the midwestern United States. Nurses were educated regarding the guidelines for offering FPDR. Findings revealed the effect of education on nurses’ opinions regarding FPDR and provided information to guide educators and managers in coaching nurses to support FPDR.