Families' Importance In Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes Research Articles

Nurses’ Attitudes Regarding the Importance of Families in Nursing Care During Hospitalization

The significance of family involvement in patient care during hospitalization has been widely recognized, yet the attitudes of nurses towards this involvement remain varied. This study aims to explore nurses' attitudes towards the importance of families in nursing care during hospitalization. Utilizing a cross-sectional survey methodology, data were collected from 44 nurses using the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care–Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) scale. The results reveal that the majority of nurses demonstrate supportive attitudes towards family involvement. Specifically, family as a resource in nursing care (Fam-RNC) (55%), Families as conversational partners (Fam-CP) (68%), nurses perceived families as a burden (Fam-B) (52%), and regarded the family as its own resource (Fam-OR) (52%). This supportive stance is crucial for fostering a collaborative care environment that enhances patient outcomes. Further research is recommended to address the perceived burdens and to develop strategies that optimize family-nurse interactions, ultimately benefiting patient care. Keywords: family involvement, FINC-NA, nursing care.

Families’ importance in nursing care–families’ opinions: a cross-sectional survey study in the homecare setting

BackgroundInformal care is an essential part of support provided in the homecare setting. To ensure effective healthcare provision, good communication and collaboration between informal and formal care providers are crucial. To achieve this aim, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the perspectives of all stakeholders. In the scientific literature, limited knowledge is available regarding family members’ opinions about their involvement in care. To date, no instruments have been developed that accurately measure these opinions. This study aims to elucidate the opinions of family members about their involvement in nursing care.MethodsA cross-sectional survey approach was employed. The methodological steps in this study were (1) convert the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care–Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) from a nurses’ perspective to a family perspective and thus develop the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care–Families’ Opinions (FINC-FO) and (2) measure families’ opinions regarding their involvement in home nursing care. The questionnaire was sent to 3,800 patients with activated patient portals, which accounts for about 17% of the total patient base. Responses were received from 1,339 family members, a response rate of 35%.ResultsThe developed FINC-FO questionnaire showed homogeneity and internal consistency. The results of the questionnaire indicate that family members consider it important to be involved in care and that they wish to be acknowledged as participants in discussions about care (planning) but are less inclined to actively participate in the provision of care by nurses. Family members expressed less explicit opinions about their own support needs. Factors such as level of education, type of partnership, and amount of care provided are seemingly associated with these opinions.ConclusionsFamily members in the homecare setting wish to be involved in discussions about care (planning). The transition in care from primarily formal to more informal care necessitates an awareness and clear definition—on part of both healthcare professionals and families—of their respective roles in the provision of care. Communication about wishes, expectations, and the need for support in care is essential to ensure quality of care and that the family can sustain caregiving.

Attitudes towards family involvement in nursing care among psychiatric nurses in Hong Kong: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

INTRODUCTION: In Hong Kong, involving the family in nursing care is still optional and mainly depends on nurses' attitudes and the willingness of the family. Hong Kong psychiatric nurses' attitudes towards family involvement in nursing care may be influenced by the unique integrated Eastern and Western cultures, however earlier studies report ambiguous findings. This study aimed to assess Hong Kong psychiatric registered nurses' attitudes towards family involvement in care and its associated factors. This study is a cross-sectional descriptive online survey with convenience sampling based on the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) instrument. Most of the psychiatric nurses had supportive attitudes towards family involvement in care. Females with more clinical experience, working in a rehabilitation-related unit and having attended a family nursing education course were associated with positive attitudes towards family involvement in care. The supportive attitude of psychiatric nurses may be explained by the shift of mental health nursing care from hospital care to community care in recent decades. Mental health nurse education and training in Hong Kong could place more emphasis on building family work skills, particularly for newly qualified nurses and those working in acute inpatient settings.

The symphony of open-heart surgical care: A mixed-methods study about interprofessional attitudes towards family involvement

ABSTRACT Purpose The overall aim of this study was to describe the attitudes towards family involvement in care held by nurses and medical doctors working in open-heart surgical care and the factors influencing these attitudes. Methods Mixed-methods convergent parallel design. A web-based survey was completed by nurses (n = 267) using the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses Attitudes (FINC-NA) instrument and two open-ended questions, generating one quantitative and one qualitative dataset. Qualitative interviews with medical doctors (n = 20) were conducted in parallel, generating another qualitative dataset. Data were analysed separately according to each paradigm and then merged into mixed-methods concepts. Meta-inferences of these concepts were discussed. Results The nurses reported positive attitudes in general. The two qualitative datasets from nurses and medical doctors resulted in the identification of seven generic categories. The main mixed-methods finding was the attitude that the importance of family involvement in care depends on the situation. Conclusions The dependence of family involvement on the situation may be due to the patient’s and family’s unique needs. If professionals’ attitudes rather than the family’s needs and preferences determine how the family is involved, care runs the risk of being unequal.

Measuring nurses' attitudes to family care: a longitudinal mixed method study

In a scenario of demographic changes with an ageing population and an increase in people with chronic illnesses, the family assumes a central role in the care of their family member. Providing nurses with knowledge and strategies of family-centred care may change current standards of practice to a more family-focused approach. To explore nurses' perceptions on the importance of involving families in the project of care and their attitudes before, during and after an implementation of family-centred care. A longitudinal mixed method study was conducted during the implementation of family-centred care in a health district. A training package for the district nurses and individual coaching by an experienced nurse were offered. The Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses Attitudes (FINC-NA) questionnaire was administered pre- and post training and one year later and two focus groups were conducted. All the 19 health district nurses participated in the study; average age 49.3 years, working experience 26.8 years. Statistically significant changes were observed in all four dimensions of the FINC-NA: family as a personal and professional resource, as a partner and a burden. The same results were confirmed by the focus groups. An educational intervention for home care nurses proved to be useful during the implementation of family-centred care. A key aspect was the support offered to nurses in transferring their knowledge and skills to their practice.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Spanish Families Importance in Nursing Care: Nurses' Attitudes Scale Through Classical Test Theory and Rasch Analysis.

Nurses' attitudes toward families play an important role in improving relationships with patients' families. It is essential to have valid and reliable instruments to assess nurses' attitudes toward involving families. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the refined Spanish version of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) according to classical test theory and the Rasch model (N = 263). Cronbach's alpha values were .73 to .87 and intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from .72 to .86. Rasch analysis results suggested that it was a multidimensional scale with four dimensions and a simpler response scheme than the original scale. Except for one item, the scale was free from bias regarding age and experience time. The FINC-NA is a reliable and valid measure showing a good fit to the Rasch model and is ready to map nurses' attitudes and measure the effectiveness of family nursing educational interventions.

Nurses' attitudes towards family importance in nursing care across Europe.

To explore differences in nurses' attitudes regarding the importance of family in nursing care and factors associated with nurses' attitudes across 11 European countries. Family involvement in healthcare has received attention in many European healthcare systems. Nurses have a unique opportunity to promote family involvement in healthcare; however, their attitudes and beliefs may facilitate or impede this practice. A cross-sectional survey across European countries. A broad convenience sample of 8112 nurses across 11 European countries was recruited from October 2017 to December 2019. Data were collected using the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) questionnaire. We used the STROBE checklist to report the results. There were significant differences in nurses' attitudes about families' importance in nursing care across Europe. Country was the factor with the strongest association with the total scores of the FINC-NA. Older age, higher level of education, increased years since graduation, having a strategy for the care of families in the workplace, and having experience of illness within one's own family were associated with a higher total FINC-NA score. Being male and working in a hospital or other clinical settings were associated with a lower total FINC-NA score. Nurses' attitudes regarding the importance of family in nursing care vary across 11 European countries. This study highlights multiple factors associated with nurses' attitudes. Further research is necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for nurses' different attitudes and to develop a strong theoretical framework across Europe to support family involvement in patient care. The inclusion of family healthcare programs in the baccalaureate curriculum may improve nurses' attitudes. In clinical practice, the focus should be on identifying influencing factors on nurses' attitudes to enhance families' importance in nursing care across Europe.

Nurses' Attitudes Toward the Importance of Families in Nursing Care: A Multinational Comparative Study.

The aim of this study was to examine nurses’ attitudes about the importance of family in nursing care from an international perspective. We used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected online using the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care—Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) questionnaire from a convenience sample of 740 registered nurses across health care sectors from Sweden, Ontario, Canada, and Hong Kong, China. Mean levels of attitudes were compared across countries using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Multiple regression was used to identify factors associated with nurses’ attitudes and to test for interactions by country. Factors associated with nurse attitudes included country, age, gender, and several practice areas. On average, nurses working in Hong Kong had less positive attitudes compared with Canada and Sweden. The effects of predictors on nurses’ attitudes did not vary by country. Knowledge of nurses’ attitudes could lead to the development of tailored interventions that facilitate nurse-family partnerships in care.

Nurse anesthetist attitudes towards parental presence during anesthesia induction- a nationwide survey.

To describe nurse anesthetists' attitudes towards the importance of parental presence during their child's anaesthesia induction and to explore associating factors. A cross-sectional design. Nurse anesthetists from 55 Swedish hospitals were asked to participate (n=1,285). A total of 809 completed the questionnaire, Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) during 2018. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis. Nurse anesthetists generally had a positive attitude towards the importance of parental presence. They reported a more positive attitude in family as a resource in nursing care (median=40) followed by family as a conversational partner (median=25), family not as a burden (median=17) and family as its own resource (median=13). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that working in a district hospital, working only with children, having routines/memorandum about parental presence, being a woman, allowing both parents to be present in their child's anaesthesia and greater experience of children's anesthesia, were associated with a more positive attitude. This nationwide survey contributes important knowledge for understanding nurse anesthetists' attitudes and the result shows that nurse anesthetists generally have a positive attitude towards the importance of parents. Areas of improvement were, however, identified; the nurses tend to not value family as its own resource and family as a conversational partner highly. Nurse anesthetists have a crucial role in children's anesthesia care since the quality of parental presence experience depends on a positive attitude from the nurses. Parental involvement is important to establish a child-centered anaesthesia care, which should be highlighted in the education of nurse anesthetists. Parental involvement should also be addressed in healthcare policies and routines should be established.

Psychometric evaluation of the German version of the instrument: Families’ Importance in Nursing Care – Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC‐NA)

The involvement of families in care has long been advocated for acute and critical care settings to improve quality and safety of care. Nurses' attitudes towards families influence the way they involve and partner with families in the planning and delivery of care. Therefore, instruments with proven psychometric properties are necessary to assess the attitudes of nurses towards involving families in nursing care. To cross-culturally adapt and psychometrically test the German version of the Families' Importance in Nursing Care - Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) scale with acute and critical care nurses. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 316 acute-critical care nurses, who filled in the FINC-NA between December 2016 and May 2018. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to assess structural validity. Internal consistency and homogeneity were determined using Cronbach's alpha. The four-factor structure of the FINC-NA - family as partner in care, family as resource in nursing care, family as their own resource and family as burden - was confirmed in the German version. Due to low primary and multiple loadings, seven items were removed. Moreover, five items loaded on different factors than the original version. Cronbach's alpha of factors ranged between 0.68 and 0.86. The cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the German version of the FINC-NA resulted in a 19-item scale that measure nurses' attitudes towards the importance of families in nursing care. Further testing is needed to refine the structural validity and establish construct validity of the FINC-NA German version.

The Factors Associated with the Attitudes of Nurses Working in Medical Facilities towards Family Nursing

The aim of this study was to clarify the attitudes of nurses working in medical facilities towards family nursing and the related factors. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. The study period was from December 2017 to February 2018. 638 nurses with more than 5 years clinical experience were recruited from seven medical facilities. The questionnaire included the Families’ Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA), the Family Sense of Coherence (FSOC), and items on nursing practice ability, job satisfaction, and background characteristics. A multiple regression analysis with FINC-NA as the dependent variable and a path analysis of nursing practice ability as the dependent variable were performed. Responses from 416 nurses (effective response rate, 65.2%) were analyzed. Variables that were significantly related to FINC-NA (p < 0.05) were nursing practice ability, FSOC, job satisfaction, family nursing learning experience, presence of a partner and experience in family nursing. Multiple regression analysis with FINC-NA as the dependent variable revealed significant regression coefficients for nursing practice ability, FSOC and job satisfaction. Moreover, path analysis with nursing practice ability as the dependent variable showed job satisfaction, FSOC, managerial experience, family nursing learning experience were significant. In addition, it was revealed that the direct effect of FSOC on FINC-NA to mediate nursing practice ability was higher than the indirect effect, but the direct effect of job satisfaction on FINC-NA was lower than the indirect effect. It was suggested that it is important that nurses recognize their own thoughts, behaviors and ways of coping with stress within their family, and establish a good work environment and strive to enhance their nursing practice ability.

Importance of families in care of individuals with mental disorders: nurses' attitudes

Abstract Objectives: To characterize the attitudes of nurses working in primary health care on the importance of involving families in nursing care to the person with mental disorder. Method: A cross - sectional descriptive study with a quantitative approach performed with 328 nurses who work in primary health care in Porto, Portugal. Families Importance in Nursing Care - Nurses Attitudes (FINC-NA) scale was applied. Results: Scale scores were elevated, mean value was 85.9 (Maximum possible 104). The significant correlations were with the variables: academic qualifications (p = 0.001), specialization (p = 0.002) and professional activity context (p = 0.001). Conclusion and implications for practice: Nurses demonstrate a high degree of agreement about the importance of families in nursing care to the person with mental disorder. Positive attitudes of nurses regarding the importance of involving families in care are fundamental to enhance the quality of care in the presence of mental disorder.

Translation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Dutch Families Importance in Nursing Care: Nurses' Attitudes Scale Based on the Generalized Partial Credit Model.

The instrument called Families Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) is used to measure nurses' attitudes toward involving families in their nursing care. The aim of this study is to evaluate the FINC-NA scale in a population of Dutch nurses and add new psychometric information to existing knowledge about this instrument. Using a cross-sectional design, 1,211 nurses received an online application in 2015. Psychometric properties were based on polychoric correlations and the Generalized Partial Credit Model. A total of 597 (49%) nurses responded to the online application. Results confirmed a four-subscale structure. All response categories were utilized, although some ceiling effects occurred. Most items increase monotonically, and the majority of items discriminate well between different latent trait scores of nurses with some items providing more information than others. This study reports the psychometric properties of the Dutch language FINC-NA instrument. New insights into the construct and content of items enable the possibility of a more generic instrument that could be valid across several cultures.

Measuring Change in Nurses' Perceptions About Family Nursing Competency Following a 6-Day Educational Intervention.

This study describes nurses' perspectives about their experience of being involved in a 6-day educational intervention which focused on the development of competency in family nursing practice with a particular emphasis on family nursing conversations. The foundational knowledge of the educational intervention was based on the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) and the Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM). A research design incorporating quantitative and qualitative measurement was used. Before and after the family nursing educational intervention, nurse participants (n = 18) completed the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) instrument. The outcomes were analyzed using paired-samples t tests. FINC-NA scores increased by 6.94 points (SD = 5.66, p < .001). To complement the quantitative findings, in-depth interviews were conducted with all of the participants. Participants reported increased awareness of the importance of families in nursing care. In addition to an increase in positive attitudes about families, participants perceived that their knowledge and skills regarding family nursing conversations were more comprehensive. A 6-day educational intervention with a focus on reflection appears useful in helping nurses to "think family" and encouraging perceptions of increased competence in family nursing conversations.

Nurses’ attitudes regarding the importance of families in pediatric nursing care

Affective, cognitive and behavioral components affect nurses´ attitudes to include families in the care processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of nurses about the importance of including families in nursing care. Data collection was performed in pediatric and maternal-child unit of a Brazilian university hospital. A sample of 50 nurses completed the Portuguese version of the instrument Families’Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA). The results indicated that nurses have supportive attitudes regarding families participation in nursing care. Attitudes of lower support for involving families in nursing care were found among nurses with older age, more time in the profession and who had no previous contact with contents related to Family Nursing. The application of the instrument in other contexts of assistance may help to illuminate important aspects of the challenges to implementing a family-centered approach in clinical practice.

Attitudes of Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses About the Importance of Families in Surgical Hospital Units: Findings From the Landspitali University Hospital Family Nursing Implementation Project.

The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes of registered nurses and licensed practical nurses about the importance of the family in surgical hospital units before (T1) and after (T2) implementation of a Family Systems Nursing educational intervention based on the Calgary Family Assessment and Intervention Models. This study was part of the Landspitali University Hospital Family Nursing Implementation Project and used a nonrandomized, quasi-experimental design with nonequivalent group before and after and without a control group. There were 181 participants at T1 and 130 at T2. No difference was found in nurses' attitudes as measured by the Families Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) questionnaire, before and after the educational intervention. Attitudes toward families were favorable at both times. Analysis of demographic variables showed that age, work experience, and workplace (inpatient vs. outpatient units) had an effect on the nurses' attitudes toward families. The influence of work experience on attitudes toward family care warrants further exploration.

Atitudes dos enfermeiros face à família: validação da escala Families' Importance in Nursing Care - Nurses Attitudes

As atitudes que os enfermeiros adotam em relação à família condicionam o processo de cuidar. Nosso propósito com este estudo foi nesse sentido: dispor de um instrumento que nos permitisse conhecer esta variável. Assim, nossa proposta foi efetuar a adaptação transcultural e avaliar as propriedades psicométricas da versão portuguesa do instrumento Families' Importance in Nursing Care - Nurses Attitudes (FINC-NA), que visa avaliar as atitudes dos enfermeiros acerca da importância de envolver a família nos cuidados de enfermagem. Foi seguido o método preconizado pela literatura. A amostra foi constituída por 136 enfermeiros dos Cuidados de Saúde Primários. Os resultados obtidos nos testes de confiabilidade revelam uma boa consistência interna para o total dos itens (Alpha de Cronbach = 0,87). O estudo psicométrico permite-nos afirmar que a versão em português da FINC-NA, que denominamos A importância das famílias nos cuidados de enfermagem - atitudes dos enfermeiros (IFCE-AE), é um instrumento fidedigno e válido.

Refinement and Psychometric Reevaluation of the Instrument

The instrument Families' Importance in Nursing Care--Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) was developed to measure nurses' attitudes toward the importance of families in nursing care. The low variations in item responses, which affect the discrimination ability and unstable internal consistency, have been considered as limitations. The aim of this study was to refine and revalidate FINC-NA regarding score distribution, homogeneity, dimensionality, differential item functioning for gender, stability, and internal consistency. There were 246 registered nurses studying at advanced levels who answered the revised FINC-NA. The FINC-NA had five response alternatives. The findings showed that although some subscales still deviated from a normal distribution, the variability of the scores and the homogeneity was improved. In addition, the dimensionality was reproduced and minor problems with differential item functioning for gender were detected. All FINC-NA scales showed good reliability. The results allow the use of the revised FINC-NA in studies where an assessment of nurses' attitudes toward families' importance in nursing care is desired.

Nurses' Attitudes About the Importance of Families in Nursing Care

The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of registered nurses (RNs) about the importance of involving families in nursing care. A sample of 634 randomly selected Swedish RNs completed the instrument, Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA), and reported holding supportive attitudes about families. High scores were found for the subscales: family as a resource in nursing care, family as a conversational partner, family as a burden, and family as its own resource. Variables that predicted a less supportive attitude about involving families in nursing care included being a newly graduated nurse, having no general approach to the care of families at the place of work, and being a male nurse.

Families' Importance in Nursing Care

This article describes the development and testing of a research instrument, Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA), designed to measure nurses' attitudes about the importance of involving families in nursing care. The instrument was inductively developed from a literature review and tested with a sample of Swedish nurses. An item-total correlation and a first principal component analysis were used to validate the final instrument, including a second principal component analysis to analyze dimensionality, and Cronbach's alpha was used to estimate internal consistency. The instrument consists of 26 items and reveals four factors: families as a resource in nursing care, family as a conversational partner, family as a burden, and family as its own resource. Cronbach's alpha was 0.88 for the total instrument and 0.69 to 0.80 for the subscales. The instrument requires further testing with other nurse populations.