Dimensions of Futility at the End of Life: Nurses’ Experiences in Intensive Care Units

Background and aims: The concept and meaning of futile care depends on the existing culture, values,religion, beliefs, medical achievements, and emotional status of a country. In Iran, futile care hasbecome a challenge for nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs). Considering the differencesobserved in defining futile care based on the patients’ conditions and the nurses’ personal values,we aimed to define the dimensions of futility at the end of life from the viewpoints of nurses workingin ICUs. This qualitative phenomenological study was done to understand the experiences of nursesworking in ICUs with respect to the dimensions of futility.Methods: this research was a qualitative phenomenological study. The statistical population of thisstudy included nurses working in the ICUs of 11 teaching hospitals and hospitals affiliated to the SocialSecurity Organization in Qazvin province, northwest of Iran. Personal interviews and observations of25 nurses working in the ICUs of 11 hospitals were collected. All interviews were recorded and codesand themes were extracted using Van Manen’s analysis method.Results: Initially 80 codes were extracted. During data analysis and comparison, the codes werereduced to 65. Ultimately, one theme and 2 sub-themes, and 5 categories were emerged: “futilemedical orders, futile diagnostic procedures, and category of nursing which included futile nursinginterventions and irrelevant duties to nursing”.Conclusion: Considering that nurses play a key role in managing futile care, being aware of theirexperiences in this regard could be the initial operational step for compiling useful care andeducational programs in ICUs.