The purpose of this study was to generate knowledge of the interaction betw
een an adult patient's family members and nursing staff from the staff's pe
rspective.
Data were collected from nursing staff (n = 155) working on the wards and o
ut-patient departments for pulmonary, rheumatic, neurological and gastroent
erological diseases at a university hospital by using a new questionnaire b
ased on earlier research and the literature. The questions explored the sta
ff's views of interaction with the adult patient's family members. In this
study, interaction is seen as an umbrella concept which encompasses giving
information to relatives, discussion, contacts between staff and significan
t others and working together. The instrument included questions about pers
onal and telephone discussions, the provision of written instructions and f
actors facilitating and complicating interaction. The response rate was 55%
. The data were analysed using SPSS software and examined using frequency a
nd percentage distributions and cross-tabulation. The open-ended questions
were analysed using qualitative content analysis by reducing, grouping and
abstracting the data inductively.
Discussions with relatives while they visited the patient in hospital were
the commonest form of interaction. The majority of respondents perceived th
e interaction with the patient and knowing his or her family members as imp
ortant. Less than one-fourth of the respondents started discussion with fam
ily members, while the majority expected family members to initiate interac
tion. The majority of respondents perceived the patient's presence in discu
ssion as important, but sometimes they thought it was necessary to discuss
with family members without the patient. The staff discussed with family me
mbers mainly in the ward office or in patient rooms, which were, however, n
ot perceived as peaceful. Discussions primarily pertained to the patient's
condition, discharge from hospital and planning of continued treatment.
The majority of respondents reported that the opportunity for discussion of
fered by staff, the patient's positive attitude towards discussion with the
family and family members' own interest facilitated interaction. The staff
's haste and shift-work, family members' shyness of approaching the staff a
nd the absence of a peaceful place for discussion serve to complicate inter
action.
Family members are primarily seen as informants and recipients oi informati
on. The staff's ability to recognize the importance of family members to su
ccessful patient care is relatively adequate. However, insufficient attenti
on is paid to family members and their need for support.