Purpose of the study
Witnessing CPR in or out hospital is a stressful experience for bystanders. Substantial improvements have been made in the last decade in supporting family presence during hospital CPR [1]. However, witnessed CPR represents a clinical problem still not fully understood [2]. The aim of this study is to explore the lived-experience of hospital patients witnessing a CPR attempt on another patient.
Materials and methods
This exploratory qualitative study was designed with a phenomenological approach. The sample consisted of hospital patients (n=17) who witnessed CPR on another patient in the same multi-bed room. Participants were recruited from nine clinical wards in a large university hospital in England. We conducted individual, face-to-face interviews within one week after the CPR event. Using phenomenological analysis, the meaningful text segments were identified, clustered into themes and subthemes, and linked in an overall narration of the essence of participants’ experience [3].
Results 
Findings indicate that participants perceive witnessing CPR on a fellow patient as a traumatic experience. Four themes were identified: the acceptance of the reality of cardiac arrests and CPR as part of the hospital experience; the emotional impact of witnessing CPR on another patient; the contrast between feeling stuck behind bed-curtains and feeling safe observing the staff responding to the emergency; the need of information and reassurance from the staff to feel supported.
Conclusions
Acknowledging the presence of witnessing patients and enhancing the practice of patient debriefing after in-hospital CPR is crucial to help patients feel considered, reassured and supported when dealing with this unexpected, difficult event. Healthcare staff should be aware of patients who witness CPR on another patient and support them. 
References
1.	Bossaert, L.L., et al., Resuscitation, 2015;95:302-11.
2.	Fiori, M., et al., European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 2017;16:585-594.
3.	Giorgi, A., Journal of Phenomenological  Psycology, 1997;28:235-260.

6 - Witnessing CPR of a fellow patient in hospital: a qualitative study exploring patients’ experiences