Experience of Families for Waiting during their Patient's Surgery: A Qualitative Research

A family-centered approach is an important part of the care process for surgical patients and their families. Nursing care is effective only when the family is taken into consideration. Understanding of family members’ experiences could helps nurses for better care services. Thus, this study aimed to explain the experience of waiting in families of patients undergoing surgery.

In this qualitative study, 17 family members of patients undergoing surgery were selected by purposive and theoretical sampling until data saturation. Semi structured interviews were held for data collection. For transcription and analysis of interviews, Microsoft Word and One Note software was used and date were analyzed using content analysis approach.

According to the findings, “Stressful waiting” was the main theme of study which was consisted of four categories, i.e. “mental and intellectual concerns”, “fear and worry”, “psychological reactions” and “psychosomatic reactions”.

Finding of this study can help healthcare professionals especially nurses to get a better understanding of the family emotions and concerns in this situation and as a result could be planning for decreasing such concerns.