Family Presence During Invasive Procedures and
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Background & Goal
Families encounter it every day in ICUs and emergency rooms nationwide -- a critically ill or injured
patient is wheeled in one direction while frightened family are shuffled away to await word of their loved
one’s fate. It is one of the unwritten rules of critical care and emergency medicine that family members
are not allowed in the patient’s room during emergency procedures. Providers base this rule on traditional
concerns that families will be traumatized by the event, lose emotional control, and interrupt patient care.
The goal of Family Presence During Invasive Procedures and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (Family
Presence) is to study outcomes of family presence on family members, healthcare providers (nurses and
physicians), and patients. Encompassed within this goal is the mentoring of nurse colleagues in the
research process, including presentation and publication of findings.
Project Description
Beginning in the mid-1990’s, Drs. Guzzetta and
Clark designed instruments and studies to
measure attitudes, perception, and outcomes of
the family presence phenomenon at various
institutions. Their vision and work gave others
the model and process by which to question
traditional mindsets and institutional rules.
Being a nurse-driven intervention, Family
Presence is implemented by nurses who are
compelled to provide patient-family-centered
care.
The key conclusion of these studies document that patient care is not interrupted. Findings provide
evidence about the benefits for family members: removing the family’s doubt about the patient’s situation
and allowing them to see everything possible was being done; reducing their anxiety and fear about what
was happening to their loved one; maintaining the family unit and need to be together. In addition, if
death occurred, families reported that their presence gave them a sense of closure and facilitated the grief
process.
Evidence of Success
Consumers are powerful in changing practice when providers encounter
resistance from within. Reports of our study results appeared in major
newspapers and magazines such as US News & World Report, Newsweek,
Redbook, Time, USA Today, The Washington Post, and The New York Times,
Chicago Tribune, and American Medical News. Findings were disseminated
on all major television news stations, reaching an estimated total audience of
8,636,000. The Parkland study received in-depth coverage on Good Morning
America, NBC Dateline, ABC World News Tonight, and CNN. Radio
broadcasts across the U.S. reached more than 10,000 stations. Numerous
internet sites also carried the study findings to the public (e.g., ABC
News.com, USAToday.com, Yahoo.com, CNN.com, WEBMD.com,
HEALTHSCOUT.com, and REUTERSHEALTH.com. In addition, over 40
publications and presentations from this duo have shared findings of the work.
Consultation to numerous institutions and other researchers has guided nurses
to change the existing paradigm.
More Information
Cathie Guzzetta, PhD, RN,
FAAN
ceguzzett@aol.com
Angela Clark, PhD, RN,
FAAN, FAHA
aclark@mail.nur.utexas.edu