Transforming desolation into consolation: The meaning of being in situations of ethical difficulty in intensive care

The purpose of this phenomenological-hermeneutic study was to illuminate th e meaning of being in ethically difficult care situations. The participants were 20 enrolled nurses employed in six intensive care units in Sweden. Th e results reveal a complex human process manifested in relation to one's in ner self and the other person, which transforms desolation into consolation through becoming present to the suffering other when perceiving fragility rather than tragedy. The main point of significance here is for all health professionals to create an ethical work environment and strive for praxis t hat fosters 'athomeness', which renders us free to transform desolation int o consolation. Consolation is of significance in ethics because it makes us available and helps us to fulfil the demands of life, while desolation mak es us unavailable to others.