Critical care nurses' perceptions toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments: a phenomenology study
Dublin Core
Title
Critical care nurses' perceptions toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments: a phenomenology study
Subject
Keywords: life-sustaining treatments, Perceptions, qualitative design, themes, withdrawal
Description
Introduction: Withdrawing life-sustaining measures involves complex legal and ethical considerations, and few
healthcare providers have received specialized training in this area. This study explored critical care nurses'
perceptions of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was used, a purposive sample of 15 individuals of both sexes for
nurses working in the ICU for at least six months. The study was conducted in seven critical care units at four hospitals
at Ain Shams University. The data collection process involved audio recordings of semi-structured open-ended
interviews and the data were analyzed based on Tesch’s method.
Results: Study results revealed that the sample age ranged from 24 to 38 and ranged from 1 year to 14 years working
in ICU at various levels starting from nursing staff to head nurses. Critical care nurses' perceptions were reflected
through four main themes and related subthemes. The main themes that shaped nurses' perceptions were attitudes
toward withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatments, ethical perceptions, beliefs impact, and legal
framework.
Conclusions: Nurses face difficult experiences influencing their perceptions of life-sustaining treatment withdrawal,
emphasizing the importance of policy guidance to prevent decisions based only on beliefs. Therefore, further
qualitative and quantitative studies are required.
healthcare providers have received specialized training in this area. This study explored critical care nurses'
perceptions of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment.
Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was used, a purposive sample of 15 individuals of both sexes for
nurses working in the ICU for at least six months. The study was conducted in seven critical care units at four hospitals
at Ain Shams University. The data collection process involved audio recordings of semi-structured open-ended
interviews and the data were analyzed based on Tesch’s method.
Results: Study results revealed that the sample age ranged from 24 to 38 and ranged from 1 year to 14 years working
in ICU at various levels starting from nursing staff to head nurses. Critical care nurses' perceptions were reflected
through four main themes and related subthemes. The main themes that shaped nurses' perceptions were attitudes
toward withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatments, ethical perceptions, beliefs impact, and legal
framework.
Conclusions: Nurses face difficult experiences influencing their perceptions of life-sustaining treatment withdrawal,
emphasizing the importance of policy guidance to prevent decisions based only on beliefs. Therefore, further
qualitative and quantitative studies are required.
Creator
Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Abd1
* , Sahar Yassien Mohammad1
, and Dalia Ali Ameen1
* , Sahar Yassien Mohammad1
, and Dalia Ali Ameen1
Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.20473/jn.v19i3.54320
Date
20 June 2024
Contributor
PERI IRAWAN
Format
PDF
Language
ENGLISH
Type
TEXT
Files
Collection
Citation
Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Abd1
* , Sahar Yassien Mohammad1
, and Dalia Ali Ameen1, “Critical care nurses' perceptions toward withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments: a phenomenology study,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed February 22, 2026, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/11074.