Content uploaded by Ricardo Castro
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Ricardo Castro on Oct 29, 2021
Content may be subject to copyright.
Category 1 :Ethical issues
Category 2 :
Icu organization
A421
-
Healthcare providers needs and coping strategies regarding end of life care of critically ill patients
R Castro
1 ; K Villarroel 2
; M San Martin
2
; V Oviedo
1
; M Amthauer
1 ; P Perez 3
; J Espinoza
4
; N
Navarro
4
; M Gonzalez
5
; M Vera
1 ; C Daniels 6 ; M Bernales 2
; P Repetto
2
1Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Medicina Intensiva, Santiago centro, Chile, 2Pontificia
Universidad Catolica de Chile, Psicología, Santiago centro, Chile, 3Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile,
Medicina Paliativa y Cuidados Continuos, Santiago centro, Chile, 4Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile,
Unidad de Paciente Critico. Hospital Clinico UC CHRISTUS, Santiago centro, Chile, 5Pontificia Universidad
Catolica de Chile, Psiquiatría, Santiago centro, Chile, 6Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Santiago
centro, Chile
Introduction:
Caring for the critically ill patient is a complex task and becomes tougher when a death process takes place. A
number of needs and coping strategies emerge from the healthcare providers before these issues but are mostly
displayed out of individual skills and intuition. If those approaches are unappropriate and the needs are not met,
patients’ death process may be burdensome for caregivers. This could affect the quality of care for patients and
families during the whole end
-
of
-
life care process.
The aim of our study was to explore the different needs and coping strategies used by ICU healthcare providers
when facing patients in the dying process.
Methods:
Qualitative and collective case study. Ten semi
-
structured interviews were conducted in ICU personnel (3
physicians and 7 nursing professionals). A thematic analysis was done using NVivo 11 software. Local Ethics
Committee approved the study.
Results:
Respondents were 70% women, had 36.7
±
8.2 years
-
old and 11.1
±
8.2 years of ICU experience.
Main needs identified in ICU healthcare providers refer to a lack of tools for doing emotional containment when
delivering bad news to families, handling personal mourning, the need to perceive consistency regarding end
-
of
-
life care management across the ICU team, and a wish of having regular training from a psychologist. Main
identified coping strategies included closing rituals, finding quiet spaces to spend time, and asking for
counselling with more expert colleagues. A need for systematic, although basic training on these issues from
qualified professionals is demanded.
Conclusion:
Usually, basic needs from patients and families in the process of dying are well addressed, but healthcare
providers’ needs are underrecognized and coping strategies mostly unknown. Visibilization of those needs and
basic but formal training in emotional containment, self
-
care and coping strategies are greatly desired.
Funded by VRI
-
Pastoral UC 2017.