Medical-Surgical Nurses Can Be Advocates For Family Presence During Resuscitation

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 19 Jul 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Typically, family members are not allowed in a patient's room during resuscitation efforts. Physicians and nurses who oppose having family members in the patient room say their presence can cause distractions, violate patient confidentiality, create crowding and increase liability. However, proponents of family presence at the bedside say it provides a sense of closeness, the ability to see that everything is done for the patient, decreases fear and anxiety and helps them cope with grief.

Research suggests family presence is beneficial for both family members and staff, and physicians and nurses support family presence when the family member is accompanied by trained staff. In the June 2008 issue of MEDSURG Nursing, Marcia Agard describes how to create and implement a family presence protocol as well as how nurses can advocate for family presence in their practice settings.

Agard says the protocol must clearly define the facility's stance on family presence, roles and responsibilities for staff members, how to assess and prepare family members, and the type of staff support family members will receive. An important component of the protocol, says Agard, is assigning a family support facilitator who would discuss the protocol with family and remain present during a resuscitation effort to answer questions, provide support, prevent interference and address family or staff concerns.

Family members believe their presence provides encouragement and comfort to the patient, and it also gives them a chance to say goodbye. While most resuscitative events occur in emergency rooms or on intensive care units, not on medical-surgical floors, medical-surgical nurses can serve as advocates during these events, says Agard.

"Creating Advocates for Family Presence During Resuscitation"
Marcia Agard, MS, RN
MEDSURG Nursing; June 2008; www.medsurgnurse.org.

MEDSURG Nursing - The Journal of Adult Health