Family Presence During CPR and Invasive Procedures

Am J Crit Care 2007;16:283

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Family Presence During CPR and Invasive Procedures

AACN Practice Department, Editors Birck Cox, Illustrator
amily members of all patients undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and invasive procedures should be given the option of being present at the bedside, but only 5% of critical care units in the United States have written policies allowing family presence.

members who demonstrate combative or violent behaviors, uncontrolled emotional outbursts). Develop proficiency standards for all staff involved in family presence. Determine your units rate of compliance in offering families the option of family presence during CPR and invasive procedures. If compliance is less than 90%, develop a plan to improve compliance.

Heres what you can do:

Ensure that your healthcare facility has written policies and procedures that support family presence during CPR and invasive procedures. Include the following components in new policies, procedures, and educational programs: Benefits of family presence for the patient and family. Criteria for assessing the family to ensure uninterrupted patient care. Role of the family facilitator (eg, nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains) in preparing families for being at the bedside and supporting them before, during, and after the event. Support for the patients or family members decision not to have family members present. Contraindications to family presence (eg, family

Other helpful resources:

Call the AACN Practice Resource Network at (800) 394-5995, ext 217. Presenting the Option of Family Presence, 2nd edition (product #120632). Available online from the AACN Bookstore, www.aacn.org. Critical Care Family Assistance Program: Replication Toolkit (product #120631). Available online from the AACN Bookstore, www.aacn.org. Davidson and colleagues, Clinical Practice Guidelines for Support of the Family in the Patient-Centered Intensive Care Unit: American College of Critical Care Medicine Task Force 2004-2005 (abstract available at: www.ccmjournal.com).

Adapted from an AACN Practice Alert issued November 2004 (available at www.aacn.org) and published as a supplement to the article by Duran and colleagues, Attitudes Toward and Beliefs About Family Presence: A Survey of Healthcare Providers, Patients Families, and Patients (American Journal of Critical Care. 2007;16:270-282).

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