Creating a space to talk about one's experience of suffering: families’ experience of a family nursing intervention

Abstract

Study rationale The impacts of health problems on individual and family functioning, as well as the influence of family on health, are well documented. However, health care and services in the West are mostly oriented towards individuals, and the needs of families often receive little consideration. The Family Support Service (FSS) was developed to address this situation. Its aim is to improve the education of nursing students and contribute to the health of the community by offering family conversations to families whose members have a health problem or who have difficulty adjusting to certain transitions. Aims and objectives The objective of this study was to explore families’ experience of the family conversations in which they participated and their satisfaction with the FSS. Methodological design and justification This study used a descriptive qualitative design based on semi‐structured interviews and thematic analysis. The study followed ethical codes of conduct and conformed to the Canadian Tri‐Council Policy Statement (TCPS). Research methods Qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 participants who had participated in family conversations as interventions, to evaluate their experience of those family conversations and their satisfaction with the FSS. Results The families reported a very positive experience of the family conversations. Three themes emerged from their statements and explained this satisfaction: (i) the nurse's attitudes and skills as the foundation for meaningful encounters; (ii) a family systems intervention where families feel recognised; and (iii) a structure adapted to the needs of families. Conclusions This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on families’ experience of family system nursing and invites nurses to develop attitudes that are conducive to meaningful encounters with families.

Health-related quality of life and emotional well-being in patients with glioblastoma and their relatives

“…Thus, the focus of care should not only be on the ill person, but also include the relative. For this, it will be important for the relatives to feel welcomed, acknowledged and listened to and be considered as an essential part of the family [ 34 ]. Furthermore, research needs to be done regarding interventions for relatives of patients with glioblastoma, on which the body of literature regarding brain tumors is small and inconclusive [ 35 ].…”

Patients’ and Family Members’ Experiences of a Novel Nurse-Led Intervention Using Family Conversations Targeting Families Afflicted by Chronic Non-Cancer Pain

“…The lack of clarity about what to expect may be ascribed to the ambiguous perception of what family involvement implies for patients with CNCP, as reflected in Rønne et al 15 In our study, the nurses’ conduct was crucial for patients’ and family members’ experience of the intervention. Broekema et al, 39 Gervais et al, 40 and Östlund et al 41 also discussed the significance of the nurses’ conduct but they only covered its positive aspects. Though patients and family members in the present study appreciated the nurses, they also experienced unfulfilled moments due to the nurses’ reluctance to engage further with emotional issues.…”

Educational Intervention for Family Nursing Students in Long-Term Cancer Survivorship: A Randomized Pilot Trial

“…The Learning & Care intervention enabled nursing students to learn about the physical, psychological, and socio-occupational needs of long-term cancer survivors and their families and to acquire skills in family assessment and intervention through family interviews. Similarly, the intervention promoted positive attitudes toward survivor and family care, which is critical to improving patient and family satisfaction with nursing care (Gervais et al, 2020). To facilitate student learning, the Learning & Care intervention combined active teaching methods, following the study by Domingo-Osle et al (2021) and the recommendations on teaching methods used in cancer education for health sciences students.…”