Daughters of cardiac patients: the process of caregiving.
This prospective, exploratory study examined the caregiving role that adult daughters play when a parent is hospitalized for a cardiac condition. Specifically, the study addressed the development and evolution of the caregiving role during the hospital stay and in the post-discharge period. Data were collected from 9 daughters using participant observation and unstructured and semi-structured interviews. Daughters' caregiving was characterized by a non-linear process of "knowing" that included knowledge seeking, consolidation of knowledge, and acting on the knowledge. In a secondary process of self-assessment concerning their knowledge, the participants moved back and forth among the 3 dimensions. In addition, their level of involvement was defined by 4 different caregiving styles, based on the family's caregiving culture. Nurses might collaborate more effectively with women caring for a parent by determining their position in the "knowing" process and tailoring the intervention accordingly. Nurses should also be sensitive to families' opinions and traditions regarding caregiving.
Gage-Rancoeur
Donna-Michelle
DM
Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. margaret.purden@mcgill.ca
Purden
Margaret A
MA
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003289:Convalescence / Q000523:psychology; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000523:psychology*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012380:Role; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires