ICU Nurses’ Experiences with Patient Care after Death / 간호행정학회지

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study aimed to identify ICU nurses‘experiences with patient care after death. @*Methods@#The data were collected through two focus group interviews with eight nurses who had experienced the death of patients in the ICU. Giorgi’s method of descriptive phenomenology was used to interpret the data. @*Results@#Five constituents and 14 subconstituents were extracted from the 68 units of meaning. The five constituents were as follows: respect the body as a person, consideration and support for the family, dichotomy between personal courtesy and performing tasks, overcoming the patient’s death and growing, and care after death: a unique role left to the nurse. @*Conclusion@#These findings illuminate the meaning of care after death as a continuation of person-centered care and can be used as primary data for the development of organizational, educational, and emotional support for nurses to accomplish their roles in the ICU.