Conducting Family Nursing in Heart Failure outpatient clinics: Nurses experiences

Aim:
This study aimed to explore what was documented during structured Family Nursing (FN) conversations with patients diagnosed with Heart Failure and their families, and to gain knowledge about the nurses’ experiences conducting FN.

Background:
Patients with HF face many challenges, and so do their families. Research has shown that families want to be involved in the caring and treatment of their loved ones. The FN intervention based on The Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Model could improve patient and family outcome.

Methods:
Data consisted of 34 case reports with documentation from throughout the FN intervention and a Focus group interview with 6 nurses who were conducting the conversations. Content analyses of all text material dealt with both manifest and latent content, and were analyzed through a deductive and inductive process.

Results:
Enabling bonding emerged as the overall theme for the FN conversations, and was made possible through two subthemes; “strengthening family bonds” and “creating an enabling context for FN”. Conducting the FN conversations was challenging due to the use of new communication skills. Optimal setting, experience, retraining and professional relational continuity was important and seen as a prerequisite if FN scould be implemented in clinical settings.

Conclusion and implication for practice:
The FN conversation seemed to support family relations and provided distinct and helpful knowledge about the family situation and their interrelation which facilitated the care for the family.