The medical futility experience of nursing professionals in Greece

Background Providing futile medical care is an ever-timely ethical problem in clinical practice. While nursing personnel are very closely involved in providing direct care to patients nearing the end of life, their role in end-of-life decision-making remains unclear. Methods This was a prospective qualitative study conducted with experienced nursing professionals from December 2020 through May 2021. Individual in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with sixteen participants. We performed a thematic analysis of the data. Results Importantly, many participants were half-hearted in their attitude towards accepting or defining futile medical care. Furthermore, interestingly, a list of well-described circumstances emerged, under which the dying process is most likely to be a “bad and undignified” process. These circumstances reflected situations revolving around a) pain and suffering, b) treating patients with respect, c) the appearance and image of the patient body, and d) the interaction between patients and their relatives. Fear of legal action, the lack of a regulatory framework, physicians being pressured by (mostly uninformed) family members and physicians’ personal motives were reported as important reasons behind providing futile medical care. The nursing professional’s role as a participant in decisions on futile care and as a mediator between physicians and patients (and family members) was highlighted. Furthermore, the patient’s role in decisions on futile care was prioritized. The patient’s effort to keep themselves alive was also highlighted. This effort impacts nursing professionals’ willingness to provide care. Providing futile care is a major factor that negatively affects nursing professionals’ inner attitude towards performing their duties. Finally, the psychological benefits of providing futile medical care were highlighted, and the importance of the lack of adequately developed end-of-life care facilities in Greece was emphasized. Conclusions These findings enforce our opinion that futile medical care should be conceptualized in the strict sense of the term, namely, as caring for a brain-dead individual or a patient in a medical condition whose continuation would most likely go against the patient’s presumed preference (strictly understood). Our findings were consistent with prior literature. However, we identified some issues that are of clinical importance.

Decision-Making Ethics with Regard to Life-Sustaining Interventions: Summoning what other Patients Chose

"Health decisions occur in a rich context in which social influences are omnipresent. The tendency to compare oneself with others has been described as one of the critical social factors influencing decision making. Based on a collection of 43 audio-recordings of hospital admission encounters which were analyzed though a conversation analytic methodology, we present findings and reflections in regard to how patients and physicians discuss cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The phenomena of interest concerns how and when patients and physicians refer to what other people decide (for example: “Often the patients tell us: No futile care”). This practice is encountered in 6 of the conversations recorded. Reference to other people’s decisions is a way to talk about options, but it does much more than just enumerating them. As a resource in interaction, this reference is employed when the patient can’t or doesn’t express a preference (thereby clarifying options) or when the preference the patient expressed is problematic (because contrary to expectations). By using this reference, decision making is projected as a matter of membership to a group of individuals, and not as a matter of individual prognostic.The ethical implications of referring to other people’s choices are significant, since it can influence the patient and pose a serious threat to autonomous decisions. We argue that findings such as ours, stemming from data-driven studies of healthcare communication, are pivotal for informing ethics education in its effort to address the biases that physicians impose upon patients during decision making. "

The Medical Futility Experience of Nursing Professionals in Greece

Background Providing futile medical care is an ever timely ethical problem in clinical practice. While nursing personnel are very closely involved in providing direct care to patients nearing the end of life, their role in end-of-life decision making remains unclear. Methods This is a prospective qualitative study conducted with experienced nursing professionals from December 2020 through May 2021. Individual in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with sixteen participants. We performed a thematic analysis of the data. Results Importantly, many participants were half-hearted in their attitude towards accepting or defining futile medical care. Furthermore, interestingly, emerged a list of well-described circumstances, under which the dying process is most likely to be a “bad and undignified” process. These circumstances reflected situations revolving around: a) pain and suffering, b) treating patients with respect, c) the appearance and image of the patient body, and d) the interaction between patients and their relatives. Fear of legal action, lack of regulatory framework, physicians pressured from (mostly uninformed) family members and physicians’ personal motives were reported as important reasons behind providing futile medical care. It is highlighted the nursing professional’s role as participant in decisions on futile care and as mediator between physicians and patients (and family members). Furthermore, it is prioritized the patient’s role in decisions on futile care. It is highlighted the impact of patient’s effort to keep themselves alive on nursing professionals’ willingness to provide care. Providing futile care is a major factor that negatively affects the nursing professionals’ inner attitude towards performing their duties. Finally, the psychological benefits of providing a futile medical care are highlighted, and the importance of the lack of adequately developed end-of-life care facilities in Greece is emphasized. Conclusions These findings enforce our opinion that futile medical care should be conceptualized in the strict sense of the term, namely, as caring for a brain-dead individual or a patient in a medical condition whose continuation would most likely go against the patient’s presumed preference (strictly understood). For a great part, our findings were consistent with prior literature. However, we identified some issues that are of clinical importance.

The moderating effect of spiritual beliefs on job dissatisfaction related to the futile care

Introduction This study aimed to assess the experience of providing futile care among intensive care unit nurses and to examine the moderating effect of spiritual beliefs on job dissatisfaction related to the sense of futile care among nurses in Intensive Care Units. Materials and methods The study had two phases. The first phase was a qualitative study. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted. In the second phase, we employed a cross-sectional design. The data from 236 nurses were collected using nurses’ perceptions of futile care questionnaire, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale. Results The main theme of the qualitative phase was a feeling of self as a useful tool in God’s hand. Sub-themes were providing care while knowing it is futile, not knowing the patient destiny, having hope for care to be fruitful, experiences patient recovery, acting to be a part of God’s plan. Futile care and job experience were two predictors of low job satisfaction. Spiritual well-being had a moderating effect and increased job satisfaction. Conclusions Futile care can decrease job satisfaction, while spiritual well-being can reduce its negative effect. Supporting spiritual aspects of nursing care can decrease turn-over intention among nurses.

Perception of the Futile Care and its Relationship With Moral Distress in Nurses of Intensive Care Units

Introduction: The development of science and technology has provided more opportunities for patients to live and even receiving futile medical care or treatment with no hope of recovery. This process leads to awkward experiences and moral distress in nurses who frequently deliver with such care. Objective: This study aimed to determine the perception of futile care and its relationship with moral distress in nurses working in intensive care units Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted on 155 nurses working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) employed in educational-therapeutic centers and hospitals of Guilan Province, Iran. They were selected by convenience sampling method. The study data were collected using the researcher-made questionnaire and Corley moral distress questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, nonparametric Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher exact and Backward logistic regression model. Results: The mean±SD age of the samples was 34.71±6.68 years; their mean±SD work experience was 10.24±5.63 years, and the mean±SD work experience in the ICU was 6.76±4.64 years. The results indicated that their mean±SD perception of futile care was 63±7, and their mean±SD moral distress was 92±54. The score of moral distress showed a low but significant and positive correlation with the legal and organizational aspects of futile care (r=0. 279, P=0.001) and the total score of perception futile care (r=0.2, P=0.012). In the multivariate analysis based on the logistic regression model of futile care, only the relationship between the legal and organizational score in care had a significant relationship with moral distress. So that by increasing one unit in the legal and organizational aspect of care, the chances of scoring above the mean of moral distress increases 1.2 times (P=0.0001, 95% CI; 1.077-1.324). Conclusion: Perhaps by familiarizing nurses with the legal and organizational nature of patient’s care, the moral distress of caring can be reduced.

Approaches to the initiation of life-sustaining technology in children: A scoping review of changes over time

Little is understood about the dynamic circumstances within which the initiation of technology dependence takes place in children. The aim of this scoping review was to identify the influences on the initiation of technology dependence and the issues that require further exploration and consideration. Scientific literature that directly or indirectly discussed the initiation of technology dependence in children was identified. A three-stage screening process of title and abstract scrutiny, full-text scanning and in-depth full-text reading resulted in 63 relevant articles from 1133 initially reviewed. These were then subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis. Articles ranged from the 1970s to the present, reflecting the evolution of ethical debates around the approaches to clinical practice and changes in cultural and societal attitudes. Three themes emerged: how technology alters the meaning of futile care, dissonance in the perspectives of decision makers and increasing support for joint decision-making. Only articles in English and predominantly from the clinician’s rather than the patient’s perspective were included. Societal and cultural factors as well as the structural, financial and cultural environment influence the initiation of technology dependence in children. However, to what extent these overt and implicit influences guide decision-makers in this field remains largely unknown.

Moral distress and moral residue experienced by transplant coordinators

Transplant coordinators play a pivotal role in the process of obtaining consent for live or dead donation of organs. The objective of the project is to unveil emotional experiences and ethical conduct of transplant coordinators using a qualitative research methodology. Ten transplant coordinators who have worked for more than 20 years in this job were recruited by using a purposive sampling technique. The transplant coordinators spoke of negative feelings and moral distress with regard to futile care of family members of deceased donors as well as of living donors. Transplant coordinators experience moral distress on a daily basis; being compelled to compromise their integrity causes moral distress and moral residue, hence, training and support should be offered to them.

Futility in the paediatric cardiac ICU

Introduction:Studies have suggested 5–20% of paediatric ICU patients may receive care felt to be futile. No data exists on the prevalence and impact of futile care in the Paediatric Cardiac ICU. The aim is to determine the prevalence and economic impact of futile care.Materials and method:Retrospective cohort of patients with congenital cardiac disease 0–21 years old, with length of stay >30 days and died (2015–2018). Documentation of futility by the medical team was retrospectively and independently reviewed.Results:Of the 127 deaths during the study period, 51 (40%) had hospitalisation >30 days, 13 (25%) had received futile care and 26 (51%) withdrew life-sustaining treatment. Futile care comprised 0.69% of total patient days with no difference in charges from patients not receiving futile care. There was no difference in insurance, single motherhood, education, income, poverty, or unemployment in families continuing futile care or electing withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Black families were less likely than White families to elect for withdrawal (p = 0.01), and Hispanic families were more likely to continue futile care than non-Hispanics (p = 0.044).Conclusions:This is the first study to examine the impact of futile care and characteristics in the paediatric cardiac ICU. Black families were less likely to elect for withdrawal, while Hispanic families more likely to continue futile care. Futile care comprised 0.69% of bed days and little burden on resources. Cultural factors should be investigated to better support families through end-of-life decisions.

Reflection rounds to facilitate resilience in hematology/medical oncology fellows.

11019 Background: Given the prevalence of burnout among medical oncologists (40-60% in the literature), education on burnout risk factors, recovery, and prevention are needed urgently in training curricula for medical oncology fellows. Care of patients with cancer is increasingly complex, and often can seem overwhelming to new trainees. Debriefing as a resiliency skill to develop self-reflection and identify coping strategies may provide a durable way to navigate these complexities. Optimization of fellowship Reflection Rounds (RR) was selected as a fellow-led quality improvement (QI) project for the current academic year. Methods: A QI team including the APD and representatives from all levels of fellowship training was assembled. Feedback regarding previously unstructured, monthly, hour long faculty-facilitated RR for first year fellows was reviewed. Topics with associated readings were selected and paired with fellow-nominated faculty based on the most common recurring themes. The QI team administered the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index (PFI) to all fellows at the midway point of the academic year. RR were re-structured to include a chaplain with trainee communication expertise and a chief fellow to participate the sessions to assess changes in trainee engagement. Repeat assessment of the Stanford PFI is planned for the end of the academic year. Results: Topics identified for discussion included handling bias, futile care, patient communication, end of life care, and work-life balance. 26 fellows completed the Stanford PFI including nine 1st year fellows, 13 2nd year fellows, and 6 3rd year fellows. Survey results revealed emotional and/or physical fatigue as areas of greatest need for improvement in fellow well-being with 27% of fellows reporting “moderate” emotional or physical exhaustion. Conclusions: RR provides a safe and effective forum to develop peer debriefing and self-refection as resiliency skills within hematology/medical oncology fellowship training. Optimization of RR will continue as fellows become more involved in planning and implementation of curricular improvements to promote resiliency and enhance wellness.