Family Presence During Resuscitation: The Education Needs of Critical Care Nurses

Background Education on family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) has been shown to improve critical care nurses' support for FPDR; however, there have been limited studies in this area. Exploring nurses' perceived needs related to FPDR education is important to design educational interventions to promote FPDR in practice. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore the FPDR education needs of critical care nurses to provide recommendations for future educational interventions. Methods A cross-sectional survey design was used, and descriptive and qualitative data were collected online in 2016. A convenience sample of 395 critical care nurses was obtained. Participants completed online surveys, and descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were conducted. Results One-third of the participants had received FPDR education, and 83% desired to receive education on FPDR. Qualitative data revealed 4 themes: nurses need education, team training is important, focus on implementation of FPDR, and a variety of preferences. Discussion Critical care nurses' reported needs for FPDR education are currently not being met. It is important for nurse educators and researchers to design and test educational interventions to meet nurses' needs for guidance on implementing FPDR in clinical practice. In particular, online and simulation approaches should be investigated.