Australian College of Critical Care Nurses and Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control position statement on facilitating next-of-kin presence for patients dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the intensive care unit.
Melissa J Bloomer, Stéphane Bouchoucha
PMID 32826150WHAT IT FOUND
ICU nurses can facilitate a next-of-kin visit for a dying COVID-19 patient when PPE and staffing allow.
The guidance recommends a private room, a timed visit, PPE donning and doffing, and hand hygiene steps.
Key findings
01The statement endorses facilitating family visitation in critical care when resources such as PPE and staffing permit.
02It recommends one nominated next-of-kin visitor, a single room where possible, and a visit scheduled at least 30 min after aerosol-generating procedures.
03It recommends the visitor be fit and well, not self-isolating or currently COVID-19 positive, drive directly to and from hospital, and be assisted by ICU staff with PPE donning and doffing.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a position statement and rapid review-like guidance, not a trial or observational study, so it reports no outcomes for patients or families. The evidence base included guidelines, opinion pieces and media reports because high-quality COVID-19 research was not yet available. The recommendations depend on PPE and staffing, so they may not be feasible in every intensive care unit. No participant count, visit numbers, or implementation outcomes are reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these recommendations as proof that allowing next-of-kin presence improves patient or family outcomes. The paper is guidance for ICU practice, and it reports no patient outcomes or comparison of visitation with no visitation.