Understand Family Members Research Articles

Navigating post-ICU care: understanding family members’ experiences - a qualitative study

ABSTRACT Background: Comprehending and addressing the needs of caregivers during the post-intensive care unit (ICU) phase is vital for establishing sustainable support systems and improving the overall quality of life (QoL) for both patients and caregivers. Objective: To explore the experiences of family members (FMs) caring for loved ones three-months after ICU discharge and their related QoL. Methods and measures: A qualitative, descriptive research was conducted. Participants were recruited from two general ICUs in an Italian Academic Hospital. Data collection lasted two months and was performed with telephonic interviews led by ICU nurses. Thematic analysis was conducted using a hybrid approach, incorporating both deductive and inductive coding strategies. This process has been facilitated by Atlas.ti software. Results: Twenty-four FMs participated, representing a diverse range of familial relationships with the patients. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes: 1) QoL underwent transformations; 2) Positive emotions laden with significance; 3) Supporting role taken on by a caregiver; and 4) Life’s transience through the meaning-making of the illness event. These themes highlighted the multifaceted nature of the caregiving experience. Conclusions: This study provides valuable insights into the challenges and dynamics faced by FMs following ICU discharge. Findings underscore the importance of addressing environmental challenges, cultivating positive emotions, and strengthening caregiver-patient relationships to enhance the caregiving experience and promote overall QoL. FMs can adapt their personal concepts and reach their full potential by learning to coexist with the demanding role of caregiver and achieve a new level of resilience and fulfillment.

Understanding Family Members in the Palliative Phases of Their Loved Ones: A Qualitative Study.

Because of aging and rising rates of chronic diseases, the demand for palliative care services is increasing worldwide, and patients need family members to care for them throughout the palliative care process. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of the relatives of palliative care patients during hospitalization. This was a qualitative study conducted with 15 family members. A topic guide was used to conduct semistructured face-to-face interviews. Content analysis was used to analyze the textual data. As a result of the analysis, 3 main themes, 6 categories, and 24 subcategories emerged. The main themes were "reactions to the admission," "feeling obligated to care," and "coping processes." The interviews revealed that most participants had misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about palliative care. Almost all of the family members expressed that they experienced various emotions during this process and had trouble coping. The significant finding of our study is that culture and religious beliefs have a considerable influence on caregiving. A limited number of studies in the literature provide detailed insight into the state of patient relatives. Therefore, this study is critical in guiding palliative care professionals in understanding the requirements of this vulnerable group.

Family members’ experiences of bereavement in the emergency department: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

The emergency department (ED) is one of the places where patient deaths frequently occur. Understanding family members’ experiences of bereavement would help provide individualized bereavement care. We conducted a meta-synthesis to synthesize family members’ experiences of bereavement in the ED and assess the impact of bereavement on their lives. We searched seven international electronic databases. Five studies were selected and critically appraised. Thematic analysis was employed. Five themes (with 13 subthemes) were derived: suffering sudden changes and are severely impacted, multiple feelings and needs of waiting, final farewell, personal and family difficulties after leaving the ED, and journey through grief. Family members endured agonizing waits to see and learn more about their family members’ condition. Family members reported the need for effective follow-up resources. Findings revealed that it would be helpful if the EDs could provide sensitive and respectful care to family members.

Perceção da família sobre a segurança nos cuidados à criança hospitalizada: scoping review

Introduction Patient safety is one of the fundamental pillars of the quality of healthcare. The perception of families of hospitalized children allows for an expanded understanding of the factors contributing to the occurrence of safety incidents, raising awareness among healthcare professionals and organizations for implementing safer practices. Objective To map the available scientific evidence regarding the family's perception of the safety of care provided to hospitalized children. Methods A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute recommendations (2020), adhering to the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Searches were performed on the CINAHL and MEDLINE databases (via EBSCOhost), SciELO, Scopus, and RCAAP, using descriptors and free terms in Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French, from 1999 onwards. Two independent reviewers carried out the search, study relevance analysis, data extraction, and synthesis between March and May 2022. Results Out of the 1,590 studies obtained, 29 were included as they met the eligibility criteria and addressed the objectives of the scoping review. Families reported various safety incidents, with a higher prevalence related to therapeutic administration. They frequently cited lack of communication as a contributing factor to unsafe care. Family members provided diverse suggestions for promoting safety, emphasizing increased vigilance, attention, and information transmission. Conclusion Family members of hospitalized children can identify safety incidents and contributing factors to unsafe care, offering suggestions for improvement. Understanding family members' perceptions and involving them are essential for enhancing the safety of hospitalized children. This scoping review allows healthcare professionals to reconsider their practices and recognize the importance of family involvement in care.

Parkinson's Disease Carepartners' Perceptions of the Challenges and Rewards of Caregiving.

Multiple debilitating symptoms and the progressive nature of Parkinson's disease (PD) affect carepartners' quality of life. Although, there is abundant knowledge on caregiver burden there is limited knowledge on PD carepartners' perceptions of caregiving. To understand family members' perception of their role, and of the challenges and rewards of PD caregiving. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with current and former PD carepartners (n = 16). Interviews were audio-recorded, de-identified, and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded and analyzed to identify themes. We identified 5 themes: (a) Unpredictability is the hardest part of caregiving. It was hard to cope with the unpredictable daily and longer-term fluctuations in PD symptoms; (b) Disease progression and multiple symptoms contribute to carepartners' emotional distress. Carepartners felt unprepared and were saddened by the patient's and their own losses; (c) Caring for a family member is not a "burden." Though stressful, carepartners resisted associating caregiving with the term "burden"; (d) Caregiving is a partnership. Carepartners saw their role as being less of "givers" and more of partners in disease management; and (e) Caregiving is an opportunity for personal satisfaction, joy, and growth. Caregiving was seen as a "gift" that enabled carepartners to express love and experience personal growth. Despite challenges PD carepartners view their role as "partners" in the management of the disease and find meaning and strength in caregiving. A palliative care approach emphasizing the positives and challenges of caregiving may provide carepartners with better support.

Family conflict: Risk factor for low adherence in adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Greek families

Introduction: Type 1 Diabetes Melitus (T1DM) treatment is demanding, due to daily blood glucose monitoring, certain diet plan, specific exercise program, multiple daily insulin injections, and management of episodes of hypo- or hyperglycemia. Family conflict may play a significant role in the adherence of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Purpose: To evaluate Greek families’ conflicts and determine their relationship with T1DM adolescents’ adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2021 to June 2022. Due to COVID-19 restriction, all the interviews were conducted through online survey. Three questionnaires were distributed to the adolescents. Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory tool, Diabetes Self-Management Profile and Collaborative Parent Involvement Scale for Youths Questionnaire. PeDsQL was distributed to their parents as well. Results: 59 adolescents (N=21) aged 10-19 years and their parents (N=38) participated. The mean values of PedsQL for all five factors ranged from 55.7 (Worry subcategory) to 77.8 (Treatment adherence), showing an overall moderate QoL. According to the mean values, parents’ perspectives PedsQL for all five factors ranged from 38.6 (Worry subcategory) to 77 (Treatment adherence), showing an overall moderate QoL. Mean DSMP score indicated a high level of adherence of children with diabetes mellitus to their treatment, whilst mean cooperation score indicated a high level of cooperation between parents and adolescents with T1DM and low level of FC. Bivariate analysis revealed that less FC was related to better treatment adherence in adolescents. Conclusions: T1DM management remains challenging, particularly as children grow older and move into adolescence. The family can play a significant role in T1DM management. Diabetes multidisciplinary teams should evaluate and understand family members' interactions detecting inter-family problems such as high frequency of FC. Provision of family support can improve communication between adolescents and parents and may reduce FC resulting in better T1DM treatment adherence and outcomes.

Video Calls as a Replacement for Family Visits During Lockdowns in Aged Care: Interview Study With Family Members.

Lockdowns have been used to prevent the spread of transmissible illnesses such as influenza, norovirus, and COVID-19 in care homes. However, lockdowns deny care home residents supplemental care and the socioemotional enrichment that comes from seeing family members. Video calling has the potential to enable ongoing contact between residents and family members during lockdowns. However, video calls can be considered by some as a poor substitute for in-person visits. It is important to understand family members' experiences with video calling during lockdowns to ensure the effective use of this technology in the future. This study aimed to understand how family members use video calls to communicate with relatives living in aged care during lockdowns. We focused on experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved extensive lockdowns in aged care homes. We conducted semistructured interviews with 18 adults who had been using video calls with relatives living in aged care during pandemic lockdowns. The interviews focused on how participants had been using video calls, what benefits they gained from video-based interactions, and what challenges they encountered when using the technology. We analyzed the data using the 6-phase reflexive approach to thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. We developed 4 themes through our analysis. Theme 1 interprets video calling as a medium for the continuation of care during lockdowns. Using video calls, family members were able to provide social enrichment for residents and engaged in health monitoring to uphold residents' welfare. Theme 2 highlights how video calling extended care by supporting frequent contact, transmitting nonverbal cues that were essential for communication, and negating the need for face masks. Theme 3 interprets organizational issues such as the lack of technology and staff time as impediments to the continuation of familial care through video. Finally, theme 4 highlights the need for 2-way communication, interpreting residents' unfamiliarity with video calling and their health conditions as further barriers to the continuation of care. This study suggests that, during restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, video calls became a medium for enabling family members to continue participating in the care of their relatives. The use of video calls to continue care illustrates their value for families during times of mandatory lockdown and supports the use of video to complement face-to-face visits at other times. However, better support is needed for video calling in aged care homes. This study also revealed a need for video calling systems that are designed for the aged care context.

SEMA6C: a novel adhesion-independent FAK and YAP activator, required for cancer cell viability and growth

Transmembrane semaphorins are signaling molecules, controlling axonal wiring and embryo development, which are increasingly implicated in human diseases. Semaphorin 6C (Sema6C) is a poorly understood family member and its functional role is still unclear. Upon targeting Sema6C expression in a range of cancer cells, we observed dramatic growth suppression, decreased ERK phosphorylation, upregulation of cell cycle inhibitor proteins p21, p27 and p53, and the onset of cell senescence, associated with activation of autophagy. These data are consistent with a fundamental requirement for Sema6C to support viability and growth in cancer cells. Mechanistically, we unveiled a novel signaling pathway elicited by Sema6C, and dependent on its intracellular domain, mediated by tyrosine kinases c-Abl and Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK). Sema6C was found in complex with c-Abl, and induced its phosphorylation, which in turn led to FAK activation, independent of cell–matrix adhesion. Sema6C-induced FAK activity was furthermore responsible for increased nuclear localization of YAP transcriptional regulator. Moreover, Sema6C conferred YAP signaling-dependent long-term cancer cell survival upon nutrient deprivation. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that Sema6C elicits a cancer promoting-signaling pathway sustaining cell viability and self-renewal, independent of growth factors and nutrients availability.

Exploring Intergenerational Communication on Social Media Group Chats as a Cancer Prevention Intervention Opportunity Among Vietnamese American Families: Qualitative Study.

Families use social media group chats to connect with each other about daily life and to share information. Although cancer is not a frequent topic of conversation in family settings, the adoption of mobile technology in the family context presents a novel opportunity to promote cancer prevention information. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have used private social media group chats to promote cancer prevention information to family members. In this formative study, we investigated how family group chat platforms can be leveraged to encourage colorectal cancer screening, human papillomavirus vaccination, and cervical cancer screening among intergenerational Vietnamese American families. This study aimed to cocreate a family-based communication intervention for introducing cancer screening information in family group chats. We sought to understand family members' motivations for using group chats, family dynamics and conversation patterns, and group chat experiences and cultural norms for interacting with family members. Overall, 20 audio-recorded and semistructured interviews were conducted with young Vietnamese adults. The study was conducted between August and October 2018. Participants were Vietnamese Americans; aged between 18 and 44 years; living in Orange County, California; had an existing family group chat; and expressed an interest in becoming family health advocates. Data were analyzed using a framework analysis. In total, 13 (65%) of the 20 young adults reported having >1 group chat with their immediate and extended family. Preventive health was not a typical topic of family conversations, but food, family announcements, personal updates, humorous videos or photos, and current events were. Young adults expressed openness to initiating conversations with family members about cancer prevention; however, they also raised concerns that may influence family members' receptivity to the messages. Themes that could potentially impact family members' willingness to accept cancer prevention messages included family status and hierarchy, gender dynamics, relational closeness in the family, and source trust and credibility. These considerations may impact whether families will be open to receiving cancer screening information and acting on it. The participants also mentioned practical considerations for intervention and message design, which included the Vietnamese cultural conversation etiquette of hỏi thăm, respect for a physician's recommendation, prevention versus symptom orientation, the family health advocate's bilingual capacity, and the busy lives of family members. In response to exemplar messages, participants mentioned that they preferred to personalize template messages to accommodate conversational norms in their family group chats. The findings of this study inform the development of a social media intervention for increasing preventive cancer screening in Vietnamese American families.

Perceptions of bereaved family members of nursing care on an inpatient hospice palliative care unit.

Understanding family members' (FMs) perceptions of the care provided by nurses is crucial to facilitating positive outcomes for FMs. To better understand how bereaved FMs perceive the care nurses provide in an inpatient hospice palliative care unit. An exploratory study was conducted, with an interpretive description methodology. It was guided by the question: 'How do bereaved FMs perceive nursing care in our unit, and how does this influence their bereavement experiences?' A total of 10 FMs-or close friends-who had a significant other die on a palliative care unit were interviewed. Findings support the belief that positive relationships and interactions with nurses impact families' perceptions of end of life. Nurses create a therapeutic environment, building a sense of ease and meaning for patients and families. Participation of nurses in rituals and patient-honouring practices after death may help families to cope and create positive memories during their grieving process.

Restricted family presence for hospitalized surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: How hospital care providers and families navigated ethical tensions and experiences of institutional betrayal

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic restricted family presence in hospitals was a widespread public health intervention to preserve critical resources and mitigate the virus's spread. In this study, we explore the experiences of surgical care providers and family members of hospitalized surgical patients during the period of highly restricted visiting (March 2020 to April 2021) in a large Canadian academic hospital. Thirty-four interviews were completed with hospital providers, family members and members of the hospital's visitor task force. To understand hospital providers' experiences, we highlight the ethical tensions produced by the biomedical and public health ethics frameworks that converged during COVID-19 in hospital providers' bedside practice. Providers grappled with mixed feelings in support of and against restricted visiting, while simultaneously experiencing gaps in resources and care and acting as patient gatekeepers. To understand family members' experiences of communication and care, we use the theory of institutional betrayal to interpret the negative impacts of episodic and systemic communication failures during restricted visiting. Family members of the most vulnerable patients (and patients) experienced short- and long-term effects including anxiety, fear, and refusal of further care. Our analysis draws attention to the complex ways that hospital care providers and families of hospitalized surgical patients sought to establish and reconfigure how trust and patient-centeredness could be achieved under these unprecedented conditions. Practical learnings from this study suggest that if family presence in hospitals must be limited in the future, dedicated personnel for communication and emotional support for patients, families and staff must be prioritized.

Quality of Life Among Family of Patients with Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis.

Chronic inflammatory skin diseases like atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis can severely impact patients' quality of life (QOL). However, the effect of these diseases can diminish the QOL of patients' family members as well. The objective of this study was to understand the impact on QOL for family members of patients diagnosed with AD or psoriasis. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 23 individuals; 12 had a family member with AD, and 11 had a family member with psoriasis. After investigators independently coded the transcripts, thematic analysis was conducted. Three major themes emerged: (1) lifestyle consequences-many daily activities for family members, including but not limited to leisure activities, sleep, and cleaning, were affected by AD or psoriasis; (2) emotional consequences-family members felt frustrated, worried, or embarrassed, among other concerns, because of their loved ones' AD or psoriasis; (3) relationships-relationships between family members and their loved ones with AD or psoriasis could become strained, and though family members might try to be sympathetic, doing so could be difficult because of their lack of understanding of how these diseases feel and personally affect their loved ones. This study highlights the impacts of AD and psoriasis on the whole family. Clinicians should be mindful of the effects on QOL not only for patients but also for family members who live with and care about these patients. Especially when family members assist with treatments, it is important to understand family members' experiences when making treatment decisions.

IMPACT OF MICROFINANCE BANKS ON BUSINESS EXPANSION CAPACITY AND PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN FOOD VENDORS IN FUTA ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of microfinance on business expansion capacity and performance on women food vendors in Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria (FUTA) environment as well as the factors that affect the performance of women entrepreneurs. For this purpose, data was collected from women entrepreneurs in FUTA environment. The findings show that there are various barriers that imitate against entrepreneurs’ development in FUTA environment. The major challenges involve, lack of collateral, high loan interest rate and lack of registration. Also, the study concluded that, micro entrepreneurs face a number of challenges. These include business risk, lack of education, family problems, high interest rate and lack of support. Despite the existence barriers for micro entrepreneurs in accessing microfinance services, among others, several Micro entrepreneurs have got their businesses growing. This suggests that there might be some factors or opportunities that have enabled some micro entrepreneurs to overcome the above-mentioned constraints and make their businesses prosperous. This could be because of their hardworking spirits, having understanding and supportive family members, required skills and technical knowhow obtained by being persistent in the business. Finally, the study concludes that lowering interest rate will improve loan provision to entrepreneurs in FUTA environment. It was established that microfinance institutions are skeptical in giving loans to not only very risky businesses but also new businesses. They are keen when assessing the creditworthiness of businesses while dealing with disproportionate information problems.

The Effect Of Work-Life and Social Media Balances On Moslem Family Teachers In Pandemic Time

Distance learning demands extra work and adjustment of teachers in doing a task to educate their students. This condition causes a conflict such as interfering with wholeness that leads to family resilience conflict. In Islamic teaching, family resilience can be achieved by living the principles of zawaj (pair), mitsaqan-ghaliza (solid bond), musyaran (good association), and musyawarah (mutual agreement) in relationship between family members. The study aimed to find out the effect of work-life and social media balances on teachers' families' resilience and was measured by Islamic family resilience values. The participants were 161 teachers aged 21-36 years in Cikarang area of Bekasi Regency who used social media. Data was taken through Google-form with three scales, namely Islamic Family Resilience which was developed by Islamic family resilience aspect of BP4 called IMRS®, the scale of work balance was from Fisher, Bulger, & Smith (2009), and the scale of social media balance was from Kumar & Priyadarshini (2018). Data was taken by a nonprobability sampling with purposive sampling technique. The data were analyzed with multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the variables of work-life and social media balances had a significant effect on family resilience. The study also showed that three dimensions had a significant effect, namely (2) the mixing of person to work, (3) enrichment of personal life from work, and (6) the use of social media for personal. This study implied that the importance of understanding family members related to the fulfillment of common goals and must be communicated.

Family members' perceptions of nursing care for people with psychiatric symptoms

Objective: to understand family members’ perceptions of nursing care for people with psychiatric symptoms. Methods: qualitative study, with 13 family members, in five clinical inpatient units linked to the clinical nursing service of a general hospital. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Results: the challenges perceived by family members were turnover of professionals in the work schedules and difficulty in specialized management. The participants suggested training of the team, greater multi-professional integration, improved management and reduced turnover of professionals during care. Conclusion: family members verbalized difficulties and suggestions to support reflection on the care offered to people with psychiatric symptoms hospitalized in clinical units, in order to improve work practices and qualify care.

Nurses’ Opinions on Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders

The aim of this study was to determine nurses' opinions on Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders. This is a descriptive study. A total of 1250 nurses participated in this study. The mean age of participants was 34.5 ± 7.7 years; 92.6% were women; 56.4% had bachelor's degrees, and 28.8% were intensive care, oncology, or palliative care nurses. Most participants (94.3%) agreed that healthcare professionals involved in DNR decision-making processes should have ethical competence, while they were mostly undecided (43%) about the statement whether or not DNR should be legal. More than half the participants (60.2%) disagreed with the idea that DNR implementation causes an ethical dilemma. Participants' opinions on DNR decisions significantly differed according to the number of years of employment and unit of duty. The results showed that most of the nurses had positive attitudes towards DNR orders despite it being illegal. Future studies are needed to better understand family members' and decision makers' perceptions of DNR orders for patients.

Family Members' Experience of Discussions on End-of-Life Care in Nursing Homes in Japan: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Family Members' Narratives.

In nursing homes, discussions between family members and staff regarding the end of life for residents with cognitive impairment are crucial to the choice of treatment and care consistent with residents' wishes. However, family members experience burden in such discussions, and communication with staff remains inadequate. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to elucidate the meaning of continuous end-of-life discussion for family members. Data were collected using semistructured individual interviews. Thirteen family members of residents from 3 nursing homes in Kyoto, Japan, participated in the study. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, which focused on both explicit and implicit meanings. Four themes emerged regarding the experience of end-of-life discussion: “the end of life soaking in,” “hardship of making the decision to end my family member's life,” “wavering thoughts about decisions made and actions taken,” and “feeling a sense of participation about the care.” Family members had come to accept the deaths of residents through continuous discussion and experienced strong conflict in facing the death of their family members. Moreover, staff members should understand family members' beliefs and the burden they experience in facing residents' death.

Family members' prioritisation of care in residential aged care facilities: A case for individualised care.

To investigate family members' prioritisation of care in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Family members are often involved in the care of their older relatives even after these relatives transit to a RACF. Understanding family members' priorities regarding care (i.e., what is most important to them) can provide valuable insights into how to better meet residents' needs. A multisite mixed-methods study comprising qualitative methods and Q methodology. The qualitative component of the study was guided by the COREQ checklist. Participants comprised 27 family members of residents living in one of five participating Australian RACFs. Participants rank-ordered 34 cards, each representing an aspect of care, on a predefined grid from "Least important" (-4) to "Most important" (+4). Participants also engaged in a think-aloud task, demographic questionnaire, post-sorting interview and semi-structured interview. Q data were analysed using inverted factor techniques to identify factors that each represent a portion of shared meaning. Factors were interpreted as viewpoints using data from the think-aloud task and interviews. These data were further analysed using inductive content analysis to reveal influences on prioritisation decision-making. Three distinct viewpoints were identified through Q methodology: prioritisation of residents' physical needs, maintaining residents' independence, and human connection. Inductive content analysis revealed four influences on prioritisation decision-making: residents' capabilities and support requirements, unmet needs, family bridging the gaps, and family knowledge of residents. The study indicated that to meet residents' needs and family members' priorities, individualised approaches to care are warranted. It also demonstrated the vital role family members play in residents' care when needs are not fully met. Strategies to improve individualised care in clinical practice include flexibility of routines, supporting family members' involvement in care, workforce training focused on family-staff communication, and safer staffing ratios.

Stomized children care practices: narratives of relatives.

to understand the practices adopted by relatives regarding ostomized children care. qualitative approach, conducted with 11 relatives of ostomized children. Methodological framework was used as narrative technique; NVivo® software for data categorization and information analysis; content analysis technique. participants revealed unpreparedness in dealing with children, lack of knowledge about handling materials and equipment inherent to ostomy and challenges faced in the daily life of children in school. They are unanimous in telling they feel encouraged and strengthened by receiving support from nurses in child care. They suggested the development of strategies to guide ostomized children care, such as educational material use. to understand family members' experience made it possible to support training and qualification of nursing professionals, and to establish priorities in care. Evidence found may contribute to reflections that aid health promotion and prevention of complications in ostomized children care.

The experiences of patients and their family members when receiving bad news about cancer: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

This qualitative meta-synthesis explored the subjective experiences of patients and their family members when receiving bad news about cancer, with a focus on what was important to them during this process and making future recommendations. A search of five electronic databases yielded 587 different records that resulted in 88 articles assessed against the inclusion/exclusion criteria. With the supplement of four additional records, 29 articles were analysed using thematic synthesis. A quality appraisal checklist was used to provide further information about the included articles. Patients and family members experienced receiving bad news as a process that involved three phases, labelled as follows: "preparation", "delivery", and "adjusting and coping". The "preparation" phase had four themes: the setting, developing a relationship, knowing the patient, and forewarning. Four themes were identified during the "delivery" phase: emotional reactions, empathy not sympathy, active participation, and understanding. "Adjusting and coping" comprised four themes: hope, holistic support, being a protector, and ongoing relationships. Receiving bad news is a significant experience for patients and family members. They want bad news delivered in an appropriate setting, in a manner consistent with their personal preferences, and have their psychological needs attended to within the context of an established relationship. Healthcare professionals can be assisted to deliver bad news in the best way possible by additional training and their workplace institutions providing quiet, private rooms, and sufficient time. Future research is needed to better understand family members' experiences and needs.