Life, Death and Decisions

Enormous advances have been made in the care of tiny babies. Continued existence, however, is sometimes not in their own best interests. For staff in Neonatal Units, already carrying out demanding work, decisions about which babies to treat intensively are particularly difficult and stressful to make. This book allows us to see how they decide and how they manage such cases. The facts come from a rigorous study carried out by two researchers, both heath care professionals. One of them, Dr Hazel McHaffie, spent months in six large Neonatal Units watching and listening to the doctors and nurses. We hear them describe their innermost feelings and doubts. We also see the tensions and conflicts of the real life situations where personalities and strong beliefs clash. There are no easy answers but this insight into the complexity of life and death decisions helps us to understand the questions and the dilemmas. The book reveals: the innermost feelings and doubts of staff having to make these stresful decisions; the agonies and complexities of having to make life and death decisions; and real-life situation conflict where personalities and strong beliefs clash.
The purpose of the book is to help the reader understand the questions and dilemmas surrounding this very emotive subject.