Health care professionals' perspectives of the experiences of family caregivers during in-patient cancer care
- Författare
- Ekstedt M, Stenberg U, Olsson M, Ruland CM
- Titel
- Health care professionals' perspectives of the experiences of family caregivers during in-patient cancer care
- Utgivningsår
- 2014
- Tidskrift
- J Fam Nurs
- Volym
- 20
- Häfte
- 4
- Sidor
- 462-86
- Sammanfattning
Being a family member of a patient who is being treated in an acute care setting
for cancer often involves a number of challenges. Our study describes Norwegian
cancer care health professionals' perceptions of family members who served as
family caregivers (FCs) and their need for support during the in-hospital cancer
treatment of their ill family member. Focus group discussions were conducted with
a multidisciplinary team of 24 experienced social workers, physicians, and nurses
who were closely involved in the patients' in-hospital cancer treatment and care.
Drawing on qualitative hermeneutic analysis, four main themes describe health
professionals' perceptions of FCs during the patient's in-hospital cancer care:
an asset and additional burden, infinitely strong and struggling with
helplessness, being an outsider in the center of care, and being in different
temporalities. We conclude that it is a challenge for health care professionals
to support the family and create room for FC's needs in acute cancer care. System
changes are needed in health care, so that the patient/FC dyad is viewed as a
unit of care in a dual process of caregiving, which would enable FCs to be given
space and inclusion in care, with their own needs simultaneously considered
alongside those of the patient.