Family presence during resuscitation: attitudes of Yale-New Haven Hospital staff

Introduction: A novel paradigm of patient- and family-centered care has been promoted and adopted by many parties in the United States. This new attitude emphasizes the role of the family in the care of the patient. One topic that should be affected by the new paradigm is family presence during resuscitation, which continues to be a highly debatable topic with no widespread implementation. The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes of Yale Emergency Department (ED) health care personnel toward Family Presence during Resuscitation (FPDR).

Materials and methods: In 2012, we surveyed 100 health care professionals in the Yale-New Haven Hospital ED, including physicians, nurses, technicians, social workers, and chaplains. One researcher analyzed the qualitative data, and both researchers reviewed the results to increase internal validity.

Results: Seventy-seven percent of staff members favored allowing the option of FPDR. Seventy-six percent of staff members believed that family members would want to be present during their loved one's resuscitation.

Conclusion: Given scientific evidence to support FPDR and the staff's wide acceptance of it, we recommend drafting and implementing a protocol for allowing FPDR. The protocol should be individualized to the Yale-New Haven Hospital ED setting.