Communication of code status escalation for nurses and doctors in the ICU: a case study

Interprofessional team members working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care for patients requiring varying degrees of life sustaining therapy. A patient’s code status can assist

healthcare professionals understand the appropriate life support measures to deliver to patients in this setting. Utilizing Stake’s approach to case study research, this study explored the communication processes that occurred between nurses and doctors in an ICU in Toronto, Canada. Participants included nurses and physicians working in the ICU. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, observations of health care rounds and a chart review. The themes that emerged from this study include: (1) engaging in a multidisciplinary discussion, (2) finding consistent documentation, (3) revisiting the code status, and (4) telling the story. The

results of this study elucidate current communication methods to guide future practices on how to effectively disseminate code status decisions amongst interprofessional ICU team members.