The Experience of Witnessing Resuscitation among Patients’ Families: A Phenomenological Study

Background: Understanding the experiences of patients’ family members witnessing resuscitation helps develop care plans. Accordingly, this study aimed to explore the experiences of witnessing resuscitation among the patients’ family members. Methods: A total of 15 patients’ family members were interviewed over a 4-month period (from April to July 2019). The participants were recruited through purposive sampling, and they were enlisted from three educational hospitals in Tabriz. Data were analyzed using Smith’s interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) via the MAXQDA12 software. Results: Data analysis led to the identification of four main themes and nine subthemes. The main themes included "the insistence on being present", "achieving calmness", "partnership and collaboration" and "hindrance". Conclusion: Although family members reported feelings of agitation towards the health professionals, there was also strong evidence of the benefits of witnessing resuscitation such as open communication, psychological support, and facilitating acceptance of the patient’s prognosis. The study highlighted the importance of developing formal policies based on a family-centered care (FCC) approach to observe family presence during resuscitation while maintaining the patient’s and family’s rights.