Measuring Change in Nurses' Perceptions About Family Nursing Competency Following a 6-Day Educational Intervention

This study describes nurses' perspectives about their experience of being involved in a 6-day educational intervention which focused on the development of competency in family nursing practice with a particular emphasis on family nursing conversations. The foundational knowledge of the educational intervention was based on the Calgary Family Assessment Model (CFAM) and the Calgary Family Intervention Model (CFIM). A research design incorporating quantitative and qualitative measurement was used. Before and after the family nursing educational intervention, nurse participants (n = 18) completed the Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) instrument. The outcomes were analyzed using paired-samples t tests. FINC-NA scores increased by 6.94 points (SD = 5.66, p <.001). To complement the quantitative findings, in-depth interviews were conducted with all of the participants. Participants reported increased awareness of the importance of families in nursing care. In addition to an increase in positive attitudes about families, participants perceived that their knowledge and skills regarding family nursing conversations were more comprehensive. A 6-day educational intervention with a focus on reflection appears useful in helping nurses to "think family" and encouraging perceptions of increased competence in family nursing conversations.