Family Support

Develop a trusting and connection relationship between nurse and family (Eggenberger & Regan, 2010)

·        Use nursing presence actions

·        Identify family’s greatest concern or challenge and act based upon data

·        Ask family to identify how nurses could be the most helpful at this time

·        Explore extended family networks

·        Dialogue about what family perceives as supports

·        Consistently share information with family in timely ways

·        Prepare family members for upcoming events

·        Teach family about what can be expected

·        Develop therapeutic relationship where family perceives nurses as support

·        Implement interventions that directly focus on uncertainty in illness events.

·        Explore with the family any mixed messages related to the illness or the treatment regime

·        Discuss seriousness and prognosis of an illness with all family members and family unit.

·        Address the symptoms of an illness with family members and family unit; discuss patterns and trajectory changes in illness; examine expected and actual events.

·        Reassure family of presence of nurse.

·        Provide factual information

·        Help family members structure and attach meaning to events

·        Be specific in describing contextual cues such as what patients and families will see, hear and feel during procedures, as well as signs, symptoms, and trajectories.

·        Help families anticipate changes and predict and manage changes with education and support.

·        Explore past experiences with health care systems and structure providers that may influence their uncertainty now.