Technology, care and ritual: relatives’ presence in connection with a death at the intensive care unit

In contemporary Norwegian health care it is common to encourage relatives to be present in connection with a death of their kin or relative at the hospital ward. This is also the case at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Olavs University Hospital, Trondheim. Annually, approximately 12 – 14 % of all the patients (ca 80 -90 patients) treated at the intensive care unit die at this ward. How do the nurses accommodate the relatives in connection with a death? How can palliative care coexist with intensive care in this highly technological healthcare environment? Where and why is the limit drawn for the relative’s presence in this context? This presentation is partly based on interviews with 27 nurses and 4 relatives at the ICU, and makes a number of comparisons with practice in an oncology palliative medicine unit.