AWARENESS OF BIOETHICAL ISSUES AND OBSERVANCE OF NURSING CARE REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PROGRAM BY INTENSIVE CARE NURSES IN SELECTED HOSPITALS IN NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
PUBLISHED IN AD SAPIENTIAM VOLUME VII 2008; COPYRIGHT: ISSN 2012-290X
GEMMARIE V. CABRERA, RN, MAN
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the awareness of bioethical issues and observance of nursing care requirements related to advanced life support program using questionnaires which were administered to 48 intensive care nurses in selected hospitals in Negros Occidental in May 2007. The data gathering instruments were subjected to validity test set forth by Good and Scates, while reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha Coefficient Correlation. Treatment of data was done using statistical tools, namely, mean and pearson product moment coefficient of correlation.
The following were the findings of the study: a) Intensive Care nurses had a very high extent of awareness on informed non consent, do not resuscitate order, without do not resuscitate order, and brain dead, but had a moderate extent of awareness on withdrawal of life sustaining treatment; b) Intensive care nurses had a high level of observance on nursing care requirements related to informed non consent, do not resuscitate order, and brain death, but had a low level of observance on withdrawal of life sustaining treatment; c) The intensive care nurses’ extent of awareness and level of observance were significantly not related.
The researcher recommends case study discussions, seminars, trainings, workshops, conferences and development of an ethical committee to broaden the awareness of intensive care nurses and provide efficient and competent nursing care to patients in the intensive care unit. (June 2007)