Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information

Click here to sign up for SAGE Journal Email Alerts today!

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Qualitative Health Research
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Vandall-Walker, V.
Right arrow Articles by Oberle, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Vandall-Walker, V.
Right arrow Articles by Oberle, K.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?

Nursing Support for Family Members of Critically Ill Adults

Virginia Vandall-Walker

Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada

Louise Jensen

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Kathleen Oberle

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Researchers have identified the needs of family members of critically ill adults, explored their experiences, and investigated interventions. To address a gap in the theoretical knowledge about how nurses help these individuals, the authors developed a grounded theory of nursing support from the perspective of family members. Results indicated that family members were initiated into a cycle of Work to meet perceived responsibilities to Get Through the experience. Supportive nurses engaged in the process of Lightening Our Load to mitigate the negative effects of the critical care experience on family members by Engaging With Us, Sustaining Us, and Disengaging From Us. No previous research has yet identified the Work of these family members, the steps they take to gain nurses' respect, and the significance to them of nurses' Welcoming us and Saying goodbye. This theory extends the understanding of nursing support beyond current knowledge of family needs, caring, comfort, supportive care, and social support.

Key Words: grounded theory • nursing support • critical care family • family work • ICU

Qualitative Health Research, Vol. 17, No. 9, 1207-1218 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1049732307308974
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Qual Health ResHome page
I. James, B. Andershed, and B.-M. Ternestedt
The Encounter Between Informal and Professional Care at the End of Life
Qual Health Res, February 1, 2009; 19(2): 258 - 271.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Qual Health ResHome page
A. L. Moi and E. Gjengedal
Life After Burn Injury: Striving for Regained Freedom
Qual Health Res, December 1, 2008; 18(12): 1621 - 1630.
[Abstract] [PDF]