Changing staff attitudes towards family-witnessed resuscitation.

The benefits of family-witnessed resuscitation (FWR) have been described in research, yet many healthcare professionals express reservations about the practice. This article considers the attitudes of staff, relatives and patients towards FWR, and the reasons why the practice is not implemented routinely in emergency departments. It also describes elements of best practice in FWR, including the development of guidelines, provision of staff training programmes and support for families.