Being there: inpatients' perceptions of family presence during resuscitation and invasive cardiac procedures.

Background: Although patients' families want to be invited to the bedside of hospitalized loved ones during crisis events, little is known about patients' perceptions of family presence.

Objective: To explore adult inpatients' perceptions of family presence during resuscitation, near-resuscitation, and unplanned invasive cardiac procedures shortly after the life-threatening event.

Methods: In this qualitative study, data were collected by interviews at least 13 hours after a crisis event and before hospital discharge. Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed for themes.

Results: From the bedside interviews (N = 48), the overarching theme of "being there" was explained more specifically as "being there is beneficial," "being there is hard," "families in the way," and "desire for control." Most participants preferred family presence, although preferences varied with types of crisis events, patients' predictions of family members' responses, and the nature of family relationships. New perspectives emerged about patients' decision making related to family presence.

Conclusions: This study extends existing knowledge about factors that influence the decision-making processes of hospitalized patients regarding family presence during a crisis event. Health care professionals can provide support as patients ponder difficult decisions about who to have present and can reduce patients' fears that families might interfere with the life-saving efforts.