Abstract
Therapeutic futility in intensive care units (ICUs) is still little discussed among nursing professionals responsible for implementing prescribed procedures, which they might disagree on. Therefore, interviews were carried out with ICU nurses to understand how they are coping with the implementation of futile treatments. Based on the analysis of collected data, the following categories emerged: therapeutic futility: what is it?; therapeutic futility extends suffering; therapeutic futility with healing as a priority; coping with therapeutic futility: humanized care? The study indicates the need to evaluate therapeutic measures provided to terminal patients with a view to improving their quality of life in this final phase. When healing is no longer possible, care is necessary with a view to respecting the sick person's integrity because care is the essence of the nursing profession.
Highlights
There are multiple ethical issues involved in care provided to people who are experiencing the dying process and death in the environment of an intensive care unit (ICU)
Therapeutic futility: What is this?. This qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was developed according to Resolution 196/
To understand how nurses are coping with the implementation of therapeutic measures they consider futile, first, they had to acknowledge the existence of these treatments in the ICUs they work at
Summary
Therapeutic futility in intensive care units (ICUs) is still little discussed among nursing professionals responsible for implementing prescribed procedures, which they might disagree on. Presente en las Unidades de Terapia Intensiva (UTIS), aún es poco discutida entre los profesionales de enfermería que son responsables por la implementación de las terapéuticas y con las cuales pueden discordar. A obstinação terapêutica, presente nas unidades de terapia intensiva (UTIs), ainda é pouco discutida especialmente por enfermeiras, responsáveis por implementar procedimentos, dos quais, muitas vezes, podem discordar. Para compreender como enfermeiras de UTIs vêm enfrentando a aplicação de medidas terapêuticas que reconhecem como fúteis, foram realizadas entrevistas com essas profissionais e análise de conteúdo dos dados, construindo-se categorias: - “Obstinação terapêutica: o que é isso?”; - “A obstinação terapêutica como o prolongamento do sofrimento”; - “A obstinação terapêutica como a priorização da cura”; - “Enfrentamento da obstinação terapêutica: cuidado humanizado?”. Disponible en castellano/Disponível em língua portuguesa SciELO Brasil www.scielo.br/rlae
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