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.

Keywords: family experience; family health; family health conversations; family nursing; nurses’ attitudes; nursing interventions; satisfaction.