Table 2.

Theoretical Underpinnings of the FSM

		Central Propositions	Adaptation to the FSM
Combination of RAM and WOST by Davidson while developing the FSM	Roy’s Adaptation Model (RAM)	• The goal of nursing is to promote a person’s adaptation whose life is disrupted such as illness. • Illness can cause a disruption in life, and adaptation occurs when people respond to the new environment in a positive way.	• The FSM follows the adaptation theory premise that family caregivers experience a life disruption which requires a compensatory process to adjust to the disruption and adapt to the new circumstances of a family member’s critical illness and their role as ICU family caregivers.
	Weick’s Organizational Sensemaking Theory (WOST)	• Leaders help others form a perception of a crisis event and make sense out of the situation. • Leaders can help others in the workplace with cue sorting to shape a positive impression of the situation.	• Nurses proactively take cues from the environment and help the family caregivers sort those cues appropriately to make sense of what is going on.
Sensemaking in psychology social and cognitive	Self-regulation Theory	• Concrete, clear objective information facilitates coping by affecting the person’s schema formation about stressful events such as illness. • A schema based on concrete objective information can focus a person’s attention away from the emotional dimensions of an impending experience leading to reduced emotional distress during the stressful experience.	• The FSM follows the self-regulation theory premise that facilitated sensemaking help family caregivers reduce psychological symptoms by making sense out of what happened and their new roles as caregivers in the ICU environment.