Exploring Intensive Care Registered Nurses’ Perceptions of the Family Support Person during Family-Witnessed Resuscitation

Background: In-hospital cardiac arrests are common occurrences that family members may be present for. Family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) is a well-studied, evidence-based practice with positive outcomes for family members. However, some nurses disagree with FWR because of the potential for family member disruptions. The presence of a hospital-employed family support person (FSP) dedicated to providing care to family members during FWR may be beneficial in improving nurses’ perspectives on FWR. While evidence shows the benefits of the FSP for family members during FWR, there is little evidence related to nurses’ perceptions of the FSP. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore nurses’ perceptions of and experiences with FSP presence during FWR events in the intensive care unit. Methods: Data were collected via one-on-one interviews between April 2023 and January 2024. Data saturation was achieved after seven interviews. Recorded interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2022) thematic analysis approach. Results: The data revealed two themes, each with three subthemes. The first theme was Disparate Perspectives of Family-Witnessed Resuscitation; its subthemes were Approval (Beneficial), Conditional Approval/Disapproval, and Rationalized/Unrationalized Disapproval. The second theme was Perceptions of the Family Support Person; its subthemes were Clinical Relief, Communicator-Translator-Comforter, and Misconstrued Disapproval. Discussion: Evidence shows that positive perspectives and experiences with FWR influence nurses’ views and attitudes towards it. The most illuminating result was the discovery of nurses’ misperceptions of the FSP role, highlighting the need for clarification. Future studies exploring the impact of clear and positive perspectives of the FSP on FWR acceptance are recommended.