Critical Moments: Death and Dying in Intensive Care (Facing Death)

Explores the treatment decisions made by doctors and nurses in intensive care wards as a social process bounded by particular organizational contexts. Seymour, who worked as a nurse in the intensive care units of two large hospitals in the UK, considers the resolution of diagnostic uncertainty immediately following admission, the disclosure of information to the patient's companions, and the intersection between medical and nursing work in intensive care. She then examines the processes that underpin the withdrawal of active medical treatment and the transfer of dying patients to nursing care only. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)