A family systems nursing intervention model for paediatric health crisis.

AIM: This article discusses the development of a family systems nursing intervention for clinical use in health crisis. BACKGROUND: Although studies in paediatric critical care provide evidence that family stress is an important clinical phenomenon, studies have demonstrated that few nurses have the requisite family intervention skills to provide family members with adequate support during crisis. In addition, few intervention studies that focus on provider-family relationships with the goal of reducing stress have been reported. This article contributes to the literature by redressing this lack. Data sources. The literature search supporting this project spanned from 1980 to 2009 and included searches from classic nursing theory, family theory and relevant nursing research specific to the design of the intervention reported. DISCUSSION: The goal of the intervention is to provide a theoretical and practical foundation for explicit action that enhances relationships with caregivers thereby supporting the integrity of the family and enhancing their coping abilities. The intervention, based on the Family Systems Model and the family's understandings of the situation, defines specific goals and desired outcomes to guide strategic actions. Discussion of the conceptual foundation, procedural development and an example of the protocol is provided. Implications for nursing. The intervention is designed for nurses with limited knowledge in family theory to aid them to better help families dealing with stress. CONCLUSION: The proposed intervention can be used to increase nurses' skills in family centred nursing care. Although designed for use in paediatric critical care, it can, with modifications, be used in other nursing specialty areas.

Clinical nurse specialist participation on a collaborative research project. Barriers and benefits.

Clinical nurse specialists are expected to contribute to the development of new nursing knowledge through research activities. Competing demands require constant juggling of time and priorities, and activities, such as research, often do not receive the attention they deserve. Research requires specific skills and knowledge and significant time expenditure. Collaborative research is an appropriate way for the clinical nurse specialist to both contribute to research and improve his or her research skills. This article discusses two pediatric critical care clinical nurse specialists' participation in a collaborative research team led by university faculty. The study was designed to reduce family uncertainty and stress and to increase staff nurse competency in providing family care. The ability of the clinical nurse specialists to contribute to the research team was enhanced by knowledge of the research process, good communication skills, and clinical expertise in the specific population of interest. Challenges for the clinical nurse specialists included limited experience in conducting clinical research and balancing clinical and research priorities. Both clinical nurse specialists and the university faculty benefited from this collaboration. The clinical nurse specialist, with expertise in a clinical specialty, is able to bridge the gap between the academic and clinical sites, making clinical research more likely. At the same time, working with expert researchers allows the clinical nurse specialist to increase his or her research skills.