Therapy futile in the opinion of nurses

Abstract

Introduction. Persistent therapy, i.e., long-term, and intensive treatment, which does not bring improvement of the patient's condition, is a challenge not only for patients, but also for medical staff, especially for nurses. Performing daily duties under high time pressure, constant stress and the need to make difficult decisions related to the participation of patients in the therapeutic process may lead to ethical dilemmas. Ethics plays a key role in nursing work, as it is the foundation of standards of conduct and decisions made by health professionals.

The aim. The aim of the study was to find out the opinions of nurses about futile therapy.

Materials and methods. The study covered a group of 100 professionally active nurses working in the Intensive Care and Palliative Care ward at Hospital in Inowroclaw. The age of the respondents ranged from 25 to 60 years old. The method used in the above study was a diagnostic survey. The research tool was a self-constructed questionnaire consisting of 27 closed questions. The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the State Vocational University in Włocławek, Resolution No. 32/22

Results. Respondents confirmed the occurrence of persistent therapy applied to chronically ill patients and patients with cancer. 93% of respondents correctly define the concept of persistent therapy. The obtained results indicate that 70% of the respondents consider limiting or discontinuing futile therapy as ethical, and ¾ of the respondents indicate that futile therapy has a negative impact on both the patient and his relatives.

Conclusions. Modern achievements of medical and technical sciences allow for long-term, artificial life support, but it is not always compliant with the principles of ethics. During their professional work, nurses often encounter situations of crossing the border that brings a positive therapeutic effect and starting persistent therapy.