Communication and decision-making about end-of-life care in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Background Clinicians in the intensive care unit commonly face decisions involving withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining therapy, which present many clinical and ethical challenges. Communication and shared decision-making are key aspects relating to the transition from active treatment to end-of-life care. Objectives To explore the experiences and perspectives of nurses and physicians when initiating end-of-life care in the intensive care unit. Methods The study was conducted in a 24-bed intensive care unit in Melbourne, Australia. An interpretative, qualitative inquiry was used, with focus groups as the data collection method. Intensive care nurses and physicians were recruited to par..