Abstract
Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of nurses working in intensive care units about obstacles and supportive behaviors of end of life care.
Background. End of life care is an important part of nursing duties in intensive care units. Exploring supportive behaviors of end of life care from the perspective of nurses may lead to better understanding of supportive behaviors and obstacles of end of life care.
Method. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 160 staff nurses, working in intensive care units in Rajaei Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, were recruited by random sampling in 2016. Data were collected using demographic form and the questionnaire “National Survey of Critical-Care Nurses Regarding End-of-Life Care” (NSCCNR-EOL) and analyzed in SPSS version 22 software using descriptive statistics.
Findings. The most important obstacle in end-of-life care was "family and friends who continually call the nurse wanting an update on the patient's". In the field of supportive care, "After the patient's death, having support staff compile all the necessary paper work for you" received the highest score.
Conclusion. Based on the findings, in critical care nurses views, appropriate training on end-of-life care and palliative care for staff, educating families about issues of death and dying, and the holistic care of patients and their families improve end-of-life care of dying patients.