BACKGROUND This study proposes a definition of futile care and quantifies its cost in injured elders. METHODS This was a retrospective study of Medicare patients with an International Classification of Diseases-9 injury diagnosis admitted to 171 Oregon and Washington facilities from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2002, who died within 6 months of admission. Futile care was defined as d...

background and purpose: considering the obstacles against the implementation of ethical decisions by nurses, experiencing moral distress is one of the major issues in this profession. moral distress could have negative effects on the physical and mental health of nurses, quality of patient care and performance of health organizations. given the importance of addressing moral distress in working...

Special characteristics of care environments have always presented nurses with some challenges. One particular situation is futile care, which is frequently accompanied by countless moral and legal challenges. The dominant atmosphere in futile care may cause moral distress to nurses and lead to a sense of guilt, pain, suffering, job dissatisfaction, and eventually cause nurses to leave the job....

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To explore the topic of moral distress in nurses related to witnessing futile care. DATA SOURCES Literature related to moral distress and futility; analysis of narratives written by 108 nurses attending one of two national continuing education courses on end-of-life care regarding their experiences in the area. DATA SYNTHESIS Nurses were invited to share a clinical situat...

922 Purpose/Objectives: To explore the topic of moral distress in nurses related to witnessing futile care. Data Sources: Literature related to moral distress and futility; analysis of narratives written by 108 nurses attending one of two national continuing education courses on end-of-life care regarding their experiences in the area. Data Synthesis: Nurses were invited to share a clinical sit...

OBJECTIVE Intensive care units (ICUs) in different parts of the world provide care to patients with advanced age and terminal illness at different rates and in different patterns. In the United States, ICU beds make up a disproportionate number of acute care beds. Nearly half of all patients who die in U.S. hospitals have received ICU, some of which may be futile. The objective of this study wa...

The concept and meaning of futile care depends on the existing culture, values, religion, beliefs, medical achievements and emotional status of a country. We aimed to define the concept of futile care in the viewpoints of nurses working in intensive care units (ICUs). In this phenomenological study, the experiences of 25 nurses were explored in 11 teaching hospitals affiliated to Social Securit...