1146 Fig. 1 Results 27 bereaved family members of 21 patients. Cases separated into two groups based on the participants’ experiences of the decision-making process. Core concept common to both groups: “Wait and see”. Families not included in decision-making (16 families) Families experiencing shared decision-making (5 families) Wait and see Intensive Care Unit-period > 4 days < 8 weeks - Meetings with clinicians: Few, seldom, randomly arranged. - Collaboration: No obvious nurse/physician teamwork. - Communication: Medical facts, detailes. Little dialogue. - Physicians: Busy, distant. - Nurses: Friendly, compassionate, supportive. Vague information. - General feelings: Hope/Realism/Ambivalence. Disparate understanding of ”wait and see”. Intensive Care Unit-period < 4 days - Meetings with clinicians: First proactive, later regular, planned. - Collaboration: Nurse/physician teamwork. - Communication: Honest, clear, medical facts. Common discussion of treatment goals and prognosis. Family communicates patient’s end-of-life goals/wishes. - Physicians: Experienced, available, close, compassionate, emotionally supportive. - Nurses: Friendly, compassionate, supportive. Careful with words. Both clear and vague information. - General feelings: Hope/Realism/Ambivalence. “Wait and see” means fragile time. Prepared through gradual understanding. when they arrived on their rounds’’ (no. 8). The com- communication focused on everyday issues and the well- munication often focused on measurable details, such as being of the patient. Families perceived the nurses as oxygen saturation, blood pressure or test results. Many friendly and compassionate, but vague and reluctant to families felt that they needed more frequent discussions give information. concerning the perspectives of the treatment. One family member said: ‘‘There were… lots of questions I could ask, but I would not get an answer (from nurses). A doctor Ambivalence had to answer them… But then… then it seems a bit of an uphill path to get information and arrange a meeting with Secondly, ‘‘wait and see’’ can be interpreted as an a doctor…’’ (no. 18). Nurses rarely participated in expression of a degree of uncertainty that is intended to meetings between families and physicians. Bedside protect family members, helping them to maintain hope