Critical care nurses' knowledge about the care of deceased adult patients in an intensive care unit
Sevim Celik, Guelay Altun Ugras, Gueler Aksoy, Sabahat Durdu, Meryem Kubas
article (Uluslararası, Hakemli) | Yazar(lar): Sevim Celik, Guelay Altun Ugras, Gueler Aksoy, Sabahat Durdu, Meryem Kubas | Yıl: 2008 | Dergi/Kurum: AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING | İndeks: WOS.SCI,WOS.SSCI | Anahtar Kelimeler: intensive care nurse, post-mortem care, nursing care, deceased patient — Özet: Object
Objective
The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge deficits about the care of deceased patients among critical care nurses.
Design
The research was conducted as a descriptive study in the adult intensive care units of a university hospital in Istanbul. The data were collected using a questionnaire.
Setting
The study was conducted with nurses working in the medical and surgical intensive care units of a university hospital, including the coronary, neurosurgery, cardiovascular, post-anaesthesia and emergency intensive care units.
Subjects
The subjects were 61 critical care nurses.
Findings
The majority of nurse respondents (75.4%) did not have a certificate in intensive care nursing and 95.1% had not received education about the care of a deceased patient. There is no standard protocol at the hospital for deceased patient care. The majority of nurses stated they removed instruments, catheters, tubes, dressings from the body and cleaned drainage and secretions, but only 8.1% reported they dressed the patient in a clean gown and combed their hair. Of the nurse respondents, 24.5% did not provide emotional support to the individual's family.
Conclusion
Nurses implemented appropriate clinical activities after death, however did not demonstrate appropriate support behaviours toward the patient's family or loved ones.