Parents' experiences of palliative care decision-making in neonatal intensive care units : An interpretative phenomenological analysis

© 2024 The Authors. Acta Paediatrica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation Acta Paediatrica..

AIM: This work explores the experiences and meaning attributed by parents who underwent the decision-making process of withholding and/or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment for their newborn.

METHODS: Audio-recorded face-to-face interviews were led and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Eight families (seven mothers and five fathers) whose baby underwent withholding and/or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment in three neonatal intensive care units from two regions in France were included.

RESULTS: The findings reveal two paradoxes within the meaning-making process of parents: role ambivalence and choice ambiguity. We contend that these paradoxes, along with the need to mitigate uncertainty, form protective psychological mechanisms that enable parents to cope with the decision, maintain their parental identity and prevent decisional regret.

CONCLUSION: Role ambivalence and choice ambiguity should be considered when shared decision-making in the neonatal intensive care unit. Recognising and addressing these paradoxical beliefs is essential for informing parent support practices and professional recommendations, as well as add to ethical discussions pertaining to parental autonomy and physicians' rapport to uncertainty.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:113

Enthalten in:

Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) - 113(2024), 5 vom: 25. Apr., Seite 992-998

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Saint Denny, Kelly [VerfasserIn]
Lamore, Kristopher [VerfasserIn]
Nandrino, Jean-Louis [VerfasserIn]
Rethore, Sabine [VerfasserIn]
Prieur, Charlotte [VerfasserIn]
Mur, Sebastien [VerfasserIn]
Storme, Laurent [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Decision‐making
Journal Article
Medical ethics
Neonatal intensive care units
Palliative care
Parents
Qualitative research
Withholding treatment

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 11.04.2024

Date Revised 11.04.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1111/apa.17109

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM367200929