Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Int J Palliat Nurs. 2024 Sep 2;30(9):486-494. doi: 10.12968/ijpn.2024.30.9.486.
Avoiding futile treatment for patients at the end of life is among one of the care challenges of nurses in intensive care units (ICUs).
This study aimed to determine the attitude of intensive care unit nurses toward futile treatment and its relationship with missed care for patients at the end of life.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on 307 ICU nurses. Eleven teaching hospitals were selected from three Iranian provinces, Zanjan Province, East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, in 2021. The data were collected using The Attitudes Toward Futile Treatment Scale (ATFTS) and The Missed Nursing Care Survey (MISSCARE Survey) as self-reports.
According to the obtained results, 94.8% of the nurses agreed that futile treatment should not be performed. However, 97.7% of the nurses reported that missed care occurs less for patients at the end of life. The correlation between the MISSCARE Survey's total scale and the ATFTS's total scale was positive and statistically significant (r =.11).
This research contributes to understanding nurses' attitudes toward futile treatment. Nurses oppose futile treatment, so obstacles to avoiding it should be eliminated. This attitude does not have a significant impact on nursing care quality or missed care for patients at the end of life, but it can lead to enduring distress for nurses. It is recommended to study the reasons for futile treatment, and its link to nurses' mental and physical health.
避免对终末期患者进行无益的治疗是重症监护病房（ICU）护士面临的护理挑战之一。
本研究旨在确定 ICU 护士对无益治疗的态度及其与终末患者护理不足的关系。
这是一项横断面研究，于 2021 年在伊朗三省（赞詹省、东阿塞拜疆省和西阿塞拜疆省）的 11 所教学医院选取了 307 名 ICU 护士。采用自我报告的方式，使用《无益治疗态度量表》（ATFTS）和《护理不足调查》（MISSCARE 调查）收集数据。
根据研究结果，94.8%的护士认为不应进行无益治疗。然而，97.7%的护士报告称，终末患者的护理不足较少发生。MISSCARE 调查总量表和 ATFTS 总量表之间呈正相关且具有统计学意义（r =.11）。
本研究有助于了解护士对无益治疗的态度。护士反对无益治疗，因此应消除避免无益治疗的障碍。这种态度对护理质量或终末患者的护理不足没有显著影响，但可能导致护士长期感到痛苦。建议研究无益治疗的原因及其与护士身心健康的关系。
