Family presence during resuscitation (FPDR): A survey of emergency personnel in Victoria, Australia

SummaryBackgroundFamily presence during resuscitation (FPDR) has been endorsed internationally by resuscitation councils since the year 2000; however, the extent to which FPDR is practiced in emergency settings requires further investigation.MethodsEmergency personnel (n = 347) from 18 participating emergency departments across the state of Victoria, Australia completed a 10-page questionnaire, which was designed to develop an understanding of the current practice and implementation of FPDR and to ascertain the differences in practice between adult and paediatric resuscitations.ResultsEmergency personnel update their adult and paediatric advanced life support qualifications annually with 87% of nurses and 65% of doctors completing adult life support and 72% of nurses and 49% of doctors completing paediatric advanced life support training. The majority of nursing staff reported support for FPDR (83%) with over 70% indicating that it is apart of their current practice. There was strong agreement from both nurses (79%) and doctors (77%) that the family have the right to be present. A family support person was deemed as essential by nurses (92%) and doctors (89%) when allowing family to be present. A factor analysis was conducted on participant statements, revealing four codes; impact on professional practice and performance, personnel beliefs about FPDR, professional satisfaction and the importance of a support person and saying goodbye.ConclusionA family support person was highlighted as essential to the successful implementation of FPDR, together with the development of a comprehensive training the education program for emergency personnel. FPDR continues to be a significant issue and further investigation into FPDR practice and implementation in the ED is warranted.