Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 4 , Pages 214-220 , August 2009

The cardiovascular intensive care unit nurse's experience with end-of-life care: A qualitative descriptive study

  • Amy O. Calvin

      Affiliations

    • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Nursing, USA
    • St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, 6720 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: 6901 Bertner Avenue Room 663, Houston, TX 77030-3901, USA. Tel.: +1 713 500 2154; fax: +1 713 500 2171.
    • ,
  • Cheryl M. Lindy

      Affiliations

    • St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, 6720 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    • Tel.: +1 832 355 4458; fax: +1 832 355 3019.
    • ,
  • Stefanie L. Clingon

      Affiliations

    • The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Nursing, USA
    • Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, Webster, TX, USA
    • 15707 Seaside Lane, Houston, TX 77062, USA. Tel.: +1 281 286 3317.

,Accepted 3 May 2009.

References 

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  2. Brosche TA. Death, dying, and the ICU nurse. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2003;22:173–179
  3. Calvin AO, Kite-Powell DM, Hickey JV. The neuroscience ICU nurse's perceptions about end-of-life care. J Neuro Nurs. 2007;39:143–150
  4. Corley MC, Minick P, Elswick RK, Jacobs M. Nurse moral distress and ethical work environment. Nurs Ethics. 2005;12:381–390
  5. Elpern EH, Covert B, Kleinpell R. Moral distress of staff nurses in a medical intensive care unit. Am J Crit Care. 2005;14:523–530
  6. Ferrell BR. Understanding the moral distress of nurses witnessing medically futile care. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2006;33:922–930
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  9. Hofhuis JGM, Spronk PE, van Stel HF, Schrijvers AJP, Rommes JH, Bakker J. Experiences of critically ill patients in the ICU. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2008;24:300–313
  10. Hov R, Hedelin B, Athlin E. Being and intensive care nurse related to questions of withholding or withdrawing curative treatment. J Clin Nurs. 2006;16:203–211
  11. Kasman DL. When is medical treatment futile?. J Gen Intern Med. 2004;19:1053–1056
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  13. McClendon H, Buckner EB. Distressing situations in the intensive care unit. Dimens Crit Care Nurs. 2007;26:199–206
  14. Meltzer LS, Huckabay LM. Critical care nurses’ perceptions of futile care and its effect on burnout. Am J Crit Care. 2004;13:202–208
  15. Mobley MJ, Rady MY, Verheijde JL, Patel B, Larson JS. The relationship between moral distress and perception of futile care in the critical care unit. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2007;23:256–263
  16. Oberle K, Hughes D. Doctors’ and nurses’ perceptions of ethical problems in end-of-life decisions. J Adv Nurs. 2001;33:707–715
  17. Sandelowski M. Whatever happened to qualitative description?. Res Nurs Health. 2000;23:334–340
  18. Scherer Y, Jezewski MA, Graves B, Wu YB, Bu X. Advance directives and end-of-life decision making: survey of critical care nurses’ knowledge, attitude and experience. Crit Care Nurs. 2006;26:30–40
  19. Torjuul K, Sorlie V. Nursing is different than medicine: ethical difficulties in the process of care in surgical units. J Adv Nurs. 2006;56:404–413
  20. Wilson SA, Coenen A, Doorenbos A. Dignified dying as a nursing phenomenon in the United States. J Hosp Palliat Nurs. 2006;8:34–41
  21. Zuzelo PR. Exploring the moral distress of registered nurses. Nurs Ethics. 2007;14:344–359

PII: S0964-3397(09)00048-2

doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2009.05.001

Intensive and Critical Care Nursing
Volume 25, Issue 4 , Pages 214-220 , August 2009

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