Areas for future research
A larger study with a multi-centred approach
would be useful for determining whether these
issues are common to other critical care areas.
This study highlights nurses’ perceptions of an
ideal death; further research is needed to identify
what families consider essential for an ideal
death and barriers that may prevent an ideal
death occurring. Families’ perceptions may differ
greatly from nurses’, and an understanding of
them can only enhance end-of-life care