Health professionals may view family-witnessed CPR negatively

(HealthDay)—Jordanian health care professionals are against family-witnessed resuscitation in adult critical care settings, according to a study published online June 22 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Ibrahim Bashayreh, Ph.D., from the Philadelphia University School of Nursing in Amman, Jordan, and colleagues conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 health care professionals regarding family-witnessed resuscitation in Jordanian adult critical care settings. Interviews were analyzed for common themes.

The researchers found that most health care professionals were against family-witnessed resuscitation. Concerns included being verbally and physically attacked if they allowed family-witnessed resuscitation and fear of family members interfering in their work. Most of the participants believed that family-witnessed resuscitation is traumatic for family members.

"The study provides a unique understanding of Jordanian health professionals' perceptions regarding family-witnessed resuscitation," the authors write. "They raised some views that contest some arguments in the broader literature. Further research with patients, family members, health professionals, and policy makers is still required."