Opinions of Nurses Working at Critical Care Units on Futility in Therapy and Practice

Abstract

Objective: The study was conducted to determinethe opinions of nurses working at intensive careunits on medical futility in therapy and practice.Method: The universe of the descriptive studyconsisted of totally 63 nurses working at intensive care units of a university hospital, and thesample consisted of 40 nurses who accepted toparticipate in the research. Percentage distribution was used to assess the data.Results: Of the nurses participated in the study,60.0% indicated that futile therapy and practicewere provided to some patients in the intensivecare environment, and 32.5% stated that such administrations were done on a daily basis. The treatment and practice provided for the patientswith incurable disease 20.0% , established brain death 12.5% and terminal-stage cancer 10.0% were defined as “futile” by the nurses. Itwas determined that the nurses thought that futile therapy and practice was provided, since thepatient was not likely to respond to the treatment 25.0% , the therapy and practice provided minimal benefit for the patient’s quality of life 15.0% and only extended the patient’s period ofpain and suffer 10.0% . Of the nurses, 92.5%claimed that nothing was performed in order toprevent futility in therapy and practice at the intensive care unit.Conclusion: The present study suggested that thenurses working at intensive care units thoughtthat futile therapy and practice were implementedfrequently and they had ethic dilemma on that point

Keywords

• Medical futility,nursing,intensive care,terminal care

Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Çalışan Hemşirelerin Yararsız Tedavi ve Uygulamaya İlişkin Görüşleri

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışma, yoğun bakım ünitesinde çalışan hemşirelerin tıbbiolarak yararsız tedavi ve uygulamalara ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemekamacıyla yapılmıştır.Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı özellikteki bu araştırmanın evrenini, bir üniversite hastanesinin yoğun bakım ünitelerinde çalışan toplam 63 hemşire,örneklemini ise araştırmaya katılmayı kabul eden 40 hemşire oluşturmuştur. Verilerin değerlendirmesinde, yüzdelik dağılım kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan hemşirelerin %60.0’ı yoğun bakım ortamında bazı hastalara yararsız tedavi ve uygulama yapıldığını, %32.5’ibu tür uygulamaların her gün yaşandığını belirtti. Hemşireler tarafından; tedavisi olmayan %20.0 , beyin ölümü gerçekleşmiş %12.5 ,terminal dönem kanser hastalığı olan bireylere verilen tedavi ve uygulamalar %10.0 “yararsız” olarak tanımlandı. Hemşirelerin tedavive uygulamalara hastanın yanıt verme olasılığının olmamasını %25.0 , hastanın yaşam kalitesine çok az yarar sağlamasını %15.0 ,tam tersine bireyin ağrı ve acı çekme süresini uzatan %10.0 tedavive uygulamaları nafile yararsız olarak değerlendirdiği saptandı.Hemşirelerin %92.5’i çalıştığı yoğun bakımda yararsız tedavi ve uygulamaları engellemek için hiçbir şey yapılmadığını ifade etti.Sonuç: Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre; yoğun bakım ünitelerinde çalışan hemşirelerin yararsız tedavi ve uygulamaların sıklıklayapıldığını düşündükleri ve bu noktada etik ikilem yaşadıkları söylenebilir

Keywords

• Tıbbi yararsızlık,hemşirelik,yoğun bakım,terminal dönem bakımı

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