My experience of being present during resuscitation

I read with interest the article by Mian et al entitled, “Impact of a Multifaceted Intervention on Nurses’ and Physicians’ Attitudes and Behaviors Toward Family Presence During Resuscitation” (February 2007:52–61). The authors showed how nurses were more willing to advocate for family presence compared to some physicians. More importantly, the article points out how an educational intervention can positively influence the attitudes and beliefs of both physicians and nurses regarding family presence.

As an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse it was not long ago that I shared many of the same concerns and attitudes regarding family presence during resuscitation. Some of the nurses’ concerns mentioned in the article were families will interfere with patient care, emotional impact of families watching their loved one being resuscitated, anxiety about their performance, and potential liability and confidentially risks. However, the experience of watching resuscitation efforts to save the life of my mother has...