Coronary care unit nurses' outlook on death - their own thoughts as well as those of their patients : a pilot study

• No studies have examined the  level of preparedness of CCU  nurses to deal with cardiac patients’  death issues. Accordingly,  the aim of this pilot study was to  explore and describe CCU nurses’  outlook on their own as well  as their patients’ thoughts about  death. A pilot study was conducted  in 2005 at a University Hospital  in southern Sweden. The 63  (93%) nurses answered a newly  established 18-item questionnaire  regarding their own and their  patients’ thoughts about death.  Descriptive statistics revealed  that 90% of nurses believed that  patients often thought about  death. Regarding their outlook on  death issues, 41% were aware of  their personal standpoint, 63%  were clear about their plan of  action, 34% showed openness  towards their patients and 26%  expressed educational adequacy.  These low figures pertaining to  both personal and professional  awareness indicate a lack of  knowledge and competence. Clinical  implications are the provision  of various forums at CCUs  on this subject and the creation of  awareness at all levels of nursing  education. Research implications  are to further develop the instrument  and implement an intervention  at the CCU of how to care  for dying cardiac patients in a  professional manner.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Cardiac care

Death

Education

Nursing

Nursing education

Vårdpedagogik

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)