Healthcare professionals' knowledge, skills, and role in offering and facilitating memory making during end-of-life care in the adult intensive care unit.
Bereavement
Critical care
End of life
Grief
Keepsake
Memory
Memory making
Palliative care
Terminal care
Transitional object
Journal
Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses
ISSN: 1036-7314
Titre abrégé: Aust Crit Care
Pays: Australia
ID NLM: 9207852
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
09 2022
09 2022
Historique:
received:
06
06
2021
revised:
12
07
2021
accepted:
09
08
2021
pubmed:
18
9
2021
medline:
20
9
2022
entrez:
17
9
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
An activity to provide a tangible keepsake following the death of a loved one is termed 'memory making'. However, limited evidence is available related to professionals' education and support to provide memory making opportunities in the adult intensive care unit (ICU). Having a greater understanding of healthcare professionals' experiences can inform future patient/family care and support for professionals in end-of-life care. The objective of this study was to describe what participants perceive memory making to be, if they have facilitated memory making activities as part of their practice, if they perceive it as part of their role, and if they have the necessary skills to do so. Seventy-five registered nurses (75% response rate), 19 medical doctors (76% response rate), and two social workers (66.7% response rate) completed a survey at a single tertiary referral centre in an adult ICU. Participants reported memory making to include the creation of tangible keepsakes as well as nontangible activities. Overall, participants reported high agreement scores that the responsibility for initiating memory making predominately belonged to the nurse. Participants reported skills most needed involved the ability to interact with the family, being open to the concept, and integrating memory making into their standard of care. Having developed a rapport with families was considered an enabler, whereas lack of knowledge and clinical workload were reported as inhibitors to offering memory making. Overall, participants in this study reported positive experiences with offering memory making to families during end-of-life care in the adult ICU. Nurses are more likely to perceive professional responsibility for offering memory making, likely due to their increased time at the bedside and higher prominence and leadership in other end-of-life practices. To support professionals, education should include conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge of keepsake creations, communication techniques using reflective practices, and organisational support to facilitate time requirements.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
An activity to provide a tangible keepsake following the death of a loved one is termed 'memory making'. However, limited evidence is available related to professionals' education and support to provide memory making opportunities in the adult intensive care unit (ICU). Having a greater understanding of healthcare professionals' experiences can inform future patient/family care and support for professionals in end-of-life care.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to describe what participants perceive memory making to be, if they have facilitated memory making activities as part of their practice, if they perceive it as part of their role, and if they have the necessary skills to do so.
METHODS
Seventy-five registered nurses (75% response rate), 19 medical doctors (76% response rate), and two social workers (66.7% response rate) completed a survey at a single tertiary referral centre in an adult ICU.
RESULTS
Participants reported memory making to include the creation of tangible keepsakes as well as nontangible activities. Overall, participants reported high agreement scores that the responsibility for initiating memory making predominately belonged to the nurse. Participants reported skills most needed involved the ability to interact with the family, being open to the concept, and integrating memory making into their standard of care. Having developed a rapport with families was considered an enabler, whereas lack of knowledge and clinical workload were reported as inhibitors to offering memory making.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, participants in this study reported positive experiences with offering memory making to families during end-of-life care in the adult ICU. Nurses are more likely to perceive professional responsibility for offering memory making, likely due to their increased time at the bedside and higher prominence and leadership in other end-of-life practices. To support professionals, education should include conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge of keepsake creations, communication techniques using reflective practices, and organisational support to facilitate time requirements.
Identifiants
pubmed: 34531101
pii: S1036-7314(21)00129-6
doi: 10.1016/j.aucc.2021.08.003
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
491-498Informations de copyright
Crown Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.