Methods: Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded by two reviewers. A thematic content analysis approach was used to analyze data.
Results: Head nurse who were employed for a minimum of five years and had holding a family meeting experiences at the hospital were eligible for inclusion in this study. There were ten female head nurses included ward and ICU head nurse practitioners. Thematic analysis identified three themes: excellent expressions, provide emotional support and well clinician-patient relationships.
Excellent expressions experience included listening to what their have to say, more time allowed for the family to speak, giving full attention, using words they could understand, full empathy (on the patients and their family’s side), physician’s personal communication characteristics and responses well. Especially the physician’s ability to inform, encourage questions, and nonverbal body language. If the physician did not provide emotional support or pay attention to the patient's values, sometimes need more concern and caring by the nurses provide emotional support. Provide emotional support experience included help families how and where could call for help and guided them to think about what is next. e.g. "What do you think is going on with your father?" Well clinician-patient relationships experience included concern and caring patient and families by the ward or ICU staff during hospital day, monitors the caregivers burned and help them to seeking solutions.
Conclusion: The results derived from head nurse's experience may be practical and helpful to other team members to solve communication problems in the family meeting.