Partnership (n=55, 82%) |
Respect
Trust
Negotiation
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“Mom’s nurses and I had an open, evolving line of communication and I really felt they valued and respected my input into her care making me feel I was no longer alone in the burden of keeping her safe.” |
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(Family caregiver) |
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Therapeutic Relationships (n=56, 84%) |
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“The nurse took the time to speak with us, calmed my wife’s nerves about walking with me when I was ill. She shared with us how her own mom had recently been in the hospital, and even though she was a nurse, she too was afraid to help her engage in her usual activities because she was so sick. I felt like we were talking human to human, person to person, instead of being told what to do. Her reassurance and encouragement was based not only on her ‘book smarts’ but also her own life experience. My wife and I now felt we had an ally in the whole impersonal hospital environment.” |
Support for nurses to build therapeutic relationships with patients and families through:
Patient/family education
Gaining knowledge of the patient and family’s needs
Communication skills that convey empathy and support
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(Family caregiver) |
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Environment (n=50, 75%) |
Adequate physical space
Privacy
Adequate staffing
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“When the unit was adequately staffed, I felt like I could maximize the patient and family caregiver’s potential for participation….I was more able to cluster nursing care thus minimizing interruptions and could allow them the space, quiet time and privacy they needed to complete the activities while still being accessible.” |
Organizational and leadership commitment to a hospital environment with adequate space, privacy, and minimized distractions
Adequate staffing levels so that staff nurses have time to answer patient and family questions
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(Staff nurse) |
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