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My colleagues and I read with interest the article by Duran and colleagues.¹ Based on the positive experience of Meyers et al,² we conducted our own descriptive, qualitative study between June and July 2002 that included staff of emergency wards or intensive care units and relatives of in-patients in the same departments in the Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi, a 1700-bed university urban hospital here in Florence. The aim of the study was to explore the attitudes of healthcare workers and relatives about this important practice among adult patients in a cultural setting that is characterized by marked tragic and hypercritical features.³

We examined 360 questionnaires (230 were completed by relatives, 45 by physicians, and 96 by nurses). We found that 80.7% of healthcare workers were not favorable toward family presence (no significant difference was found between nurses and physicians). A total of 70.3% thought it could have negative effects on staff. Although 62.8% of health-care personnel stated that family presence was not a right for relatives, nurses were significantly less contrary about the practice than were physicians (56.3% vs 65.4%; P<.025). A total of 70.2% of relatives thought they should be present with the patient during cardiopulmonary resuscitation or invasive procedures (the percentage of positive answers was higher in family members when patients were severely ill; P<.05); 65.7% felt family presence could be useful if the patient desired it.

In the case of the emergency department, relatives preferred to be assisted by a physician (83.2%) rather than a nurse (8.9%). To our knowledge, this survey is the only research on family presence performed in Italy; it was published in Italian in 2005.⁴ We believe the study adds interesting and previously unknown elements to the discussion around an important issue, and soon we hope to begin the first trial related to family presence in Italy.

Stefano Bambi, RN, Giovanni Becattini, RN and Enrico Lumini, RN
Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Careggi Florence, Italy

REFERENCES

1. Duran CR, Oman KS, Abel JJ, Koziel VM, Szymanski D. Attitudes toward and beliefs about family presence: a survey of healthcare providers, patients’ families, and patients. Am J Crit Care. 2007;16:270–282.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Meyers TA, Eichorn DJ, Guzzetta CE, Clarck AP, Klein JD, Taliaferro E, Calvin A. Family presence during invasive procedures and resuscitation. Am J Nurs. 2000;100(2):32–42.[Medline]
3. Schilling RJ. Should relatives watch resuscitation? No room for spectators. BMJ. 1994;309(6951):406.[Free Full Text]
4. Piovelli R, Massi M, Bambi S, Lumini E, Becattini G. La presenza dei familiari in sala emergenza durante manovre di rianimazione e procedure invasive: le percezioni dei familiari e del personale sanitario. GISI - Giornale Italiano di Scienze Infermieristiche. 2005;1(0):16–29.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Respond to This Article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bambi, S. Articles by Lumini, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bambi, S. Articles by Lumini, E.