Strategies for Family-Centered End-of-Life Care in the Adult Intensive Care Unit.

When patients transition from curative to comfort-focused treatment, family-centered care at the end of life can improve outcomes for intensive care unit (ICU) families. Nurses make important contributions across 3 key phases: admission and the hope for recovery, realization of poor prognosis, and the active dying phases. Barriers such as conflicts and organizational constraints can be addressed through various strategies, including advocating for early palliative care, encouraging regular family meetings, involving spiritual care, and providing bereavement support. Finally, nurses must also attend to their own emotional well-being to sustain their work caring for patients and families during this challenging time.