End-of-life care in intensive care units: A concept analysis

Abstract

End-of-life care should be considered a part of the nursing profession, specifically in intensive care units [ICUs]. Although various definitions of end-of-life care have been proposed by nursing academies and associations, a clear definition of end-of-life care in ICUs is yet to be determined. Thus, in this concept analysis, we aim to define end-of-life care in the ICU. In this study, we utilized Walker and Avant's concept analysis method, which is designed to identify the structure and definition of a concept like end-of-life care in ICU. In this concept analysis, two antecedents, four attributes, and three consequences of end-of-life care in ICU were extracted, and its definition was thereafter clarified. These results are highly useful and can support critical care nurses, as they are the ones who provide optimal care for dying patients and their families in the ICU; they also form a basis for further research with regard to end-of-life care in the field of critical care nursing. The prominent features of end-of-life care in ICU are as follows: a high dependency on medical equipment, short-term care, and focus on care for families as most patients are unconscious. These features reflect the definition of end-of-life care in ICU. End-of-life care in ICU were defined as intensive and short-term care for patients who are facing imminent death and their families, to help them live out their lives with dignity.