| Insights into the ethical problems | n = 130 | |
| Principles (10%) | Patient participation | Importance of adequate information | 13 | It is important to give the patient good information that it is possible to withhold treatment and still get good care. |
| Persons (18%) | Personal responsibility | Awareness of one’s feelings | 12 | I realise that I could react from my heart and shout it out to the media. |
| Boundaries to responsibility | 12 |
| Perspectives (72%) | Extended perspective on the patient | Others perspectives and knowledge | 30 | I’ve got more facts about the particular situation. That it was not only about the patient having dialysis or not. |
| More complex | 19 |
| Increased understanding for the patient | 10 |
| Increased awareness of relations to other professions | Mutual understanding | 14 | Interesting to learn how those with power (the doctors) also feel vulnerable and find it difficult to reach the patient. |
| Gap between the professionals | 13 |
| Shared view about the problem | 8 |
| Insights into how to solve problems | n = 125 | |
| Principles (18%) | Promote patient participation | Improve routines for information and documentation | 12 | To document the patient’s wishes about the future regarding life-sustaining treatment and if the patient has had a different opinion from the doctor. |
| Help the patient to decide | 11 |
| Persons (18%) | Be firm | Make demands on the patient | 17 | From this, I realise a person has the right to make demands on somebody who places demands on you. |
| Question the doctors | 5 |
| Perspectives (64%) | Enhance team collaboration | Request for interprofessional dialogue | 36 | More collaboration between the different staff groups. Everyone helps to put the pieces of the puzzle together. You don’t have to be alone with difficult decisions. Find time for dialogue. |
| Reach a consensus for care | 20 |
| Enhance patient/family contact | Give psychological support | 15 | To combine the patient’s concern for his children with the importance of the dialysis regimen. |
| Try to understand the patient better | 9 |