Nursing research study contributions - Essay Example

Nursing research study contributions Background Despite the worse condition of a patient, it is usually challenging for their family members to accept the loss of a loved one. The situation is even more traumatizing in case of an orchestrated death. This brings a dilemma to hospital staff and families in regard to dying patients especially when taking a decision that will terminate the life of the patient. An example of this is the removal of a ventilator. This research explores the needs and perspectives of families who lost their loved ones as a result of ventilator withdrawal.

The purpose of the research was to gather information that would be used to enhance the nursing practice especially in regard to improving outcomes of dying patients and helping their families cope with the death or imminent death of loved one. The research findings will be useful in developing interventions and frameworks that incorporate the needs and perspectives of families in enhancing their ability to cope with death in the midst of this changing and dramatic reality of the death of a loved one.

The main objectives of this research was to find out the perspectives family perspectives on ventilator withdrawal at end of life and to find out what was helpful in helping them to cope with the situation. It was also aimed at identifying those things that could have been done differently to enhance these outcomes. Concepts, phenomena The research design selected for this study was case study and qualitative research methods, specifically interviews, were used to collect data. The interviews were conducted on physicians, families and nurses with an aim of understanding the impact of ventilator withdrawal on caregivers or family members.

Most of the interviews were conducted face to face, only three were conducted over the phone because circumstances could not allow a face to face meeting with the family. Before the conduction of the interviews, permission was sought from the families/participants targeted (Bartels and Faber-Langendeon, 2001). The participants were drawn from families in which a ventilator was withdrawn from their loved one leading to their death. However, only those who showed willingness to be conducted later on for follow-up interviews and responded positively later on were allowed to participate.

During the conduction of this nursing research the ethical consideration that was observed is right to privacy hence the interviews were conducted at the places the families identified as most convenient. Autonomy of the participants was also respected thus only those who showed willingness to participate were interviewed. Results Many families accepted the withdrawing the ventilator since they were aware that their loved one was dying. However, they said in doing this, the nurses should ensure that technological care is provided for them and the patient.

An example was skillful handling of the technical aspects of withdrawing the ventilator and intervening when the patient expressed discomfort. From this, the research discovered that from the family perspective, the comfort of the family and patient were intertwined (Bartels and Faber-Langendeon, 2001). Families revealed that once lifesaving efforts were terminated, patient comfort was their main concern. Their need in this situation was to see their loved one depart in peace. It also included a lot of psychosocial care.

These included information, communication, presence, compassion, respect and ability to de with death. Information includes medical facts that indicate that nothing can be done to save the patient’s life. Some wanted the presence of spiritually supportive people and an attending physician whom the family had a long-term relationship with. Some of the things families wished they could have been done differently or improved were dealing with the discomfort caused by the ventilator and family distress caused by the inability of the patient to communicate while in the ventilator (Bartels and Faber-Langendeon, 2001).

Implications to nursing The implications of this study to nursing is that when withdrawing a ventilator, nurses should take care of the comfort of the family and the patient to the greatest extend. They should also ensure that the psychosocial needs of the families are met to enable them cope up with the impending loss of their relative. The findings of this study will contribute to all areas of nursing. These are education, practice and administration. They will ensure nurse graduates are fully prepared to tackle any situation in the field because human life and emotions of families cannot be used for experimentation.

It will also ensure that the practice of those already in the field is improved and that administrators of healthcare facilities ensure all nurses deal with patients and their families well at such critical times. Conclusion From the perspectives of many families, nurses should ensure that they provide for them and the patient technological and psychosocial care when withdrawing ventilator from their relative. This includes skillful handling of the technical aspects of withdrawing the ventilator, taking care of their comfort and that of patient, compassion, respect, keeping them informed, making proper communication.

If possible, a more familiar physician and spiritually supportive people should e present. Future research should focus ways of facilitating communication between family members and a relative on ventilator and making patients in ventilators comfortable. Reference Bartels, D. and Faber-Langendeon, K. (2001). “Caring in crisis: Family Perceptives on Ventilator Withdrawal at End of Life.” Online: www.articlearchives.com/society-social/families.family/329927-1.html. Viewed on 15th, September, 2011.