Nurses’ Experiences of Managing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death. Nurses are often the first members of the healthcare teams to deal with these patients. The management of how nurses performing resuscitation has drawn a lot of attention. Aim: The present study was conducted with an aim of determining nurses’ experiences of managing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the content analysis approach. Fourteen nurses with different positions and active roles in the CPR were selected purposefully. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from July to December 2019. Data were analysed based on the Graneheim and Lundman’s approach. Guba and Lincoln’s trustworthiness criteria were used to obtain the trustworthiness of data. Results: Fourteen Nurses, with mean age of 32.14±4.34 years and mean work experience of 9.78±4.50 years were included in the study. Four main categories and fourteen subcategories were recognised in the questionnaire, including the role of human resources (fluctuation of coordination and cooperation, capability and motivation), management of procedures (cardiac massage, shock, airway, drug therapy, and vascular access), role of context and structure (equipment and physical space, contextual factors, and losing time) and the role of law and ethics (guideline, reporting and evaluation, and power of conscience). Conclusion: This study showed that nurses face various challenges and limitations at the beginning, during and after resuscitation in the management of CPR. Therefore, nurses’ ability to manage and execute this process should be enhanced.