The role of the nurse with families of patients in ICU: the nurses' perspective.

Although nurses are often charged with the responsibility of helping families cope with the stress that results when a loved one is hospitalized in a critical care unit, there is little research investigating how critical care nurses perceive their role with families. The objectives of this study were to (a) describe critical care nurses' role expectations and perceived role performance with respect to patients' families, and (b) describe the relationship between nurses' role expectations and their perceived role performance. Forty-seven nurses were surveyed in this descriptive, correlational study. There was a moderately strong correlation (r = .60, p < .0001) between role expectations and role performance. However, family-focused interventions requiring less time and less intense communication skills were performed more often than those requiring more time and greater skill in communication. Thus, certain family needs may be met inconsistently due to varied perceptions among nurses regarding their responsibility to families. The findings are discussed in relation to concepts from role theory.