Compassionate Care Among Iranian Nurses Caring for Candidate Brain Death Organ Donor Patients: A Hermeneutic Study



Keshtkaran Z¹ ; Sharif F¹ ; Gholamzadeh S² ; Navab E³ Show Affiliations
Source: Revista Latinoamericana de Hipertension Published:2018

Abstract

Apart of cares provided at the end of life of patients in intensive care units is allocated to the care of brain death patients, which is considered under title of one caring unit. Many nurses tend to provide high-quality and compassionate care. However, studies indicated that almost all patients do not receive compassionate cares. This research was carried out to explain the living experiences of nurses in intensive units providing care for brain death patients. In this hermeneutic phenomenological study, van Manen's methodology was used. Ten nurses (9 women and 1 man) working in Intensive Care Units were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The data derived from the interviews was analyzed after recording and transcribing. The main theme of this study, which manifested the important and innovative aspect of caring the brain death patients, was compassionate care. It included two subthemes of commitment and devotion with sub subthemes of responsible caring and kindness in caring and sympathetic support with sub subthemes of providing emotional support to family and emotional influence. According to the results of this research, it can be concluded that providing care for brain death patients, who were candidate for donation, despite imposing psychological burden on nurses, has provided a compassionate care for patient and family. This care is due to commitment, professional responsibility and deep emotional effects in them. The research results provide the conditions for educational planners to train nurses in order to improve their care provided for the patients and support the nurses. © 2018 Revista Latinoamericana de Hipertension. All rights reserved.