In addition to providing care to seriously ill children, pediatric nurses must attend to stressed out family members. How do you approach offering support to family members?

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It is natural for parents or other caregivers to be afraid and experience anxiety.. Communicating your compassion and knack for comforting others will show an interviewer how well-rounded you are as a nursing professional.

"I know what it's like to be the family member who is worried about a loved one requiring care. I remember when my father was very ill. He had some nurses who were very kind and approachable. He had a few that were not so kind. I always try to remember how I felt when I was the one in need of support and to treat those family members with the same kind of respect and kindness that I wanted."

"Caring for family members often requires as much patients as caring for our patients. They are naturally afraid of a possible difficult outcome with regard to their loved ones. I always try to speak kindly and offer time to answer questions and give family members an opportunity to talk about what concerns them. While every day does not offer as much free time as others, a few minutes can often make a big difference to a concerned family member."

"Each family has a different dynamic. A skilled nurse tries to recognize the specific personalities of those for whom she is caring, as well as those of the loved ones. When time allows, I try to visit with the family members of my patients so that they know who is caring for their loved one and begin to build rapport with them. Having a good relationship between care providers and family members usually has a positive effect on the patient."

Anonymous Answer

"From my experience, I have realized that every family is very different. The one thing that I noticed most, however, is that most families feel scared and lost. There are a lot of "what ifs" and a lot of questions. I always try to answer questions to the best of my ability and explain what task I am doing as well as why I am doing said task. I've noticed that this helps to ease any anxiety the family and patients may have."

Rachelle's Feedback

Your approach is wonderful, and shows how much heart you bring into your work. Very well said.

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Anonymous Answer

"I will always allow family members to express their concern. I will speak kindly and offer any help they need. Giving them time to ask a question or going the extra mile to help will make a world of difference."

Lauren's Feedback

Fantastic response. I assisted with minor edits.

"When interacting with distraught family members, I always find it helpful to allow them to express concerns. Often, they want an outlet, and speaking with me can relieve some stress. I talk to families kindly, empathetically, and offer help. Giving them the time to ask questions or slowing down to have some time to talk can make a world of difference."

Anonymous Answer

"Parents are naturally worried and stressed when their child is in the hospital as that is the last place they want to be. Not to mention parents have to figure out arrangements for the care of their other children or pets. Many parents also may have to miss work when their child is in the hospital so maybe worried about finances. I make sure to actively listen to everything families have to say and empathize with them about how I would feel if I was in that situation. I also make sure to take time to answer all of their questions as that can make a big difference. Taking a few extra minutes to support family members can help put them at ease. I learned through precepting in pediatrics and my pediatric clinical rotation that it really helps put parents at ease when you share information in a timely manner and really explain the plan of care for their child. Parents like to feel like they are a part of their child's care and being frequently updated helps them feel more at ease. Another thing that I learned that is helpful is to try to make the hospital environment feel as much like the home environment for the child such as if the child sleeps with the bathroom light on leave that light on or if they have a special blanket or stuffed animal they like to sleep with let them sleep with that. This makes the parent feel that you are personalizing care specifically for their child."

Cindy's Feedback

Very good. You do a great job showing the interviewer that you're familiar with the stressors families experience; perhaps devote more time to explaining how you would offer support. For example, is sharing timely information a way to help relieve the stress of worry? Is helping the child feel comfortable in an alien environment helpful to the parents as well?