How do nurses learn about family-centred care?

How do student nurses develop their understanding of the nebulous and ill-defined concept of family-centred care? Semi-structured interviews were used to explore how 10 child branch students described the concept and how they perceived the development of their understanding of it. According to the students, the concept incorporates interaction between the child, family and nurses to provide holistic care. Students learnt through reflection and by applying theory to practice. Although the practice they observed was varied, some of the students used more experienced nurses as role models. These findings emphasize the importance of clarifying the concept of family-centred care, of monitoring and updating the practice of supervisors in clinical areas and of encouraging reflection to help bridge the theory/practice gap.