Care, compassion and competence in critical care: A qualitative exploration of nurses’ experience of family witnessed resuscitation

SummaryThis exploratory study was grounded in a local initiative promoting family witnessed resuscitation in the critical care units of a regional cardio-thoracic centre in the United Kingdom (UK). Research in this field has focussed on the perceived benefits, or otherwise, of family involvement, but little is known about the impact this has on critical care nurses or their practice. This study aimed to gain insights into nurses’ experience of family witnessed resuscitation and identify any implications for critical care practices.The study employed a phenomenological approach and interviewed six nurses who had been involved in family witnessed resuscitation. Data from the transcribed interviews were analysed thematically and organised into descriptive categories which reflected the nursing experience of these resuscitation events.The three thematic categories generated by data analysis illustrate the challenges nurses faced in seeking to balance compassionate care and technical competence in emergency situations on critical care units. They also showed how nurses sought to reconcile unsettling emotions with their professional practice and responsibilities.The findings of this study are consistent with what is already known about the challenges of critical care nursing, but suggest that more research is needed to understand the practical and emotional complexities of family witnessed resuscitation.