Abstract

This abstract appeared in the Journal of Family Nursing Volume 13 Number 2 May 2007.

A quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test study was conducted to explore nurses’ perceptions of the impact of “The 15-minute family interview” on the paediatric hospital admission process. The intervention consisted of two in-depth teaching sessions and hands-on coaching in the use of the 15-minute family interview. Each of the six nurses was interviewed twice using a semistructured questionnaire: once before receiving the intervention and once after they had completed six family interviews. In addition, nurses kept field notes on their impressions of the family interviewing process. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted. Findings revealed that the nurses perceived the genogram, the therapeutic questions and the commendations as having a positive impact on their ability to conduct family assessment and family interventions. Overall, nurses felt the 15-minute family interview should be routinely incorporated into practice at the time of a child’s hospital admission.