Nursing Commons^™

Structured Communication Intervention To Reduce Anxiety Of Family Members Waiting For Relatives Undergoing Surgical Procedures, Kathryn Kynoch, Linda Crowe, Annie Mcardle, Judy Munday, Cj Cabilan, Sonia Hines

Journal of Perioperative Nursing

Perioperative nurses recognise that family members experience increased levels of anxiety during the wait for a relative undergoing a surgical procedure. It is often during this time that little or no meaningful communication occurs between family members and health professionals. It has been suggested that a structured information intervention has the potential to increase communication between families and health care professionals as well as decrease family members’ anxiety.

The aim of this study was to establish the effect of a structured communication program on anxiety of family members’ awaiting relatives undergoing surgical procedures. A quasi-experimental design was used with a …