DEVELOPMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY VIGILANCE

Although there is an increase in the visibility of families in hospita ls, there was little known about the meanings, pattern, and day-to-day experience of families staying with hospitalized relatives. The purpo se of this qualitative, ethnographic study was to describe vigilance, defined as the family member's experience of staying with a relative i n the hospital setting. Eight adult family members with relatives on t wo acute care neurology units were purposively selected to participate in the study. Data were collected using informal, semistructured inte rviews and participant observation. Qualitative analysis provided a me aningful grouping of the data pieces into five categories of meaning: commitment to care, emotional upheaval, dynamic nexus, transition, and resilience. These categories of meaning provides a description of vig ilance and enhance the theoretical understanding of this care phenomen on.