Family centered intrapartum care: revisiting an old concept.

The historic development of family centered care to the present time is traced, and future development is proposed. A family systems approach can help nurses focus on the family as a unit and on individual members. This requires nurses to develop skills in working with multiple family members, provide care and advocacy for varying and sometimes conflicting family needs, and promote family clarification of their own values and priorities. Such an approach can help intrapartum families add to their experience of coping with stress in a way that builds family cohesion and mutual support.