Effects of Implementing a Brief Family Nursing Intervention With Hospitalized Oncology Patients and Their Families in Germany: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Family nursing, based on the Calgary Family and Intervention Models, was implemented in a German oncological inpatient unit to promote effective family functioning in the context of cancer care. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of implementing family nursing care on several psychological and physical outcomes of patients and their family members. A quasi-experimental study with 214 patients with a cancer diagnosis and 122 family members was conducted. Findings indicate that the superiority of family nursing, when compared to traditional care, could not be confirmed with respect to patients’ outcomes (psychological burden, social support, satisfaction with care) and family members’ outcomes (psychological burden, physical complaints, satisfaction with care). Various factors, such as country-specific structures and challenges in implementing family nursing care on an inpatient unit, may have contributed to these findings. Further replication attempts in similar settings in other countries are needed to shed light on the factors impairing or promoting the implementation of family nursing in practice settings.

The State of the Evidence about the Family and Community Nurse: A Systematic Review

“…Moreover, patients reported being very satisfied with the care provided by FCNs [ 61 ], as they felt their psychological and social needs were considered [ 20 ]. In fact, mental health is one major aspect of sustaining patients’ well-being, particularly in cancer patients [ 107 ], especially to reduce anxiety and stress [ 74 ].…”

The Implementation of Evidence-Informed Family Nursing Practices: A Scoping Review of Strategies, Contextual Determinants, and Outcomes

“…Of the 24 included studies, 11 studies implemented a family-centered care approach ( Boztepe & Kerimoğlu Yıldız, 2017 ; Gomes da Silva et al, 2016 ; Hamilton et al, 2020 ; Kleinpell et al, 2019 ; MacKay & Gregory, 2011 ; Maree et al, 2017 ; Mirlashari et al, 2019 ; Shah-Anwar et al, 2019 ; Toivonen et al, 2019 ; Weis et al, 2014 ; Wells et al, 2014 ). Ten studies implemented Family Systems Nursing ( Beierwaltes et al, 2020 ; Blöndal et al, 2014 ; Eggenberger & Sanders, 2016 ; Naef, Kaeppeli et al, 2020 ; Naef, Kläusler-Troxler et al, 2020 ; Petursdottir et al, 2019 ; Svavarsdottir et al, 2015 ; Wong, 2014 ; Zimansky et al, 2018 , 2020 ). Three studies implemented a family-focused intervention program ( Antolick et al, 2020 ; Duke et al, 2020 ; Wells et al, 2014 ; see Table 1 ).…”

“…A total of 18 studies specified their implementation strategies. Most implementation efforts entailed an educational component, which was, except for one study ( Wong, 2014 ), combined with the use of a local implementation team or champion/facilitator roles that provided clinical mentoring and supervision ( Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al, 2019 ; Beierwaltes et al, 2020 ; Blöndal et al, 2014 ; Eggenberger & Sanders, 2016 ; Naef, Kaeppeli, et al, 2020 ; Naef, Kläusler-Troxler, et al, 2020 ; Petursdottir et al, 2019 ; Svavarsdottir et al, 2015 ; Toivonen et al, 2019 ; Weis et al, 2014 ; Zimansky et al, 2018 , 2020 ). Others used a quality improvement methodology that combined feedback loops and local capacity-building strategies ( Antolick et al, 2020 ; Duke et al, 2020 ; Kleinpell et al, 2019 ; Maree et al, 2017 ), and one study did not provide sufficient detail ( Wells et al, 2014 ).…”

Estratégias utilizadas na assistência de enfermagem ao paciente adulto com doença crônica não transmissível: Uma revisão integrativa

“…A implementação aconteceu em um período de 06 meses e os profissionais da unidade oncológica passaram por um treinamento organizado pela equipe da enfermagem familiar com foco nos aspectos de atitude empática e comunicativa, uso de conversas terapêuticas nos momentos com os familiares e prevenção de erros de enfermagem. Os resultados indicaram que são necessários mais estudos em outros ambientes para garantir a eficácia da enfermagem familiar no contexto hospitalar (Zimansky et al, 2020).…”