International journal of palliative nursing
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This paper reports on a study which took place in a 15-bed hospice and provides an account of the views of registered nurses (n = 12) and health support workers (n = 10) in relation to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within a hospice setting. The study was part of a larger ethnographic research project being conducted in the hospice when the British Medical Association/Royal College of Nursing and the Resuscitation Council UK (Resuscitation Council UK, 2001) published guidelines urging all establishments that face decisions about attempting CPR to develop local policies. ⋯ Semi-structured interviews were conducted on a purposive sample of hospice staff. The findings raise issues about the implementation of CPR in a context where it was felt that the patient should be allowed to die a natural death.