Educational Needs of Hospitalized Elderly Patients’ Caregivers: a Basic Concept for Nursing Education

Abstract Introduction: In order to determine nurses’ educational needs in supporting family members of hospitalized elderly patients’, the needs of these care givers should be recognized. This study was performed with the goal to obtain and understand the lived experience of patients’ family caregivers regarding their needs. Methods: In a qualitative study with phenomenological method, the care givers of elderly patients hospitalized in one of the hospitals affiliated to Isfahan Medical University were selected by purposive sampling in the year 2004. By reaching data saturation the number of participant was 12. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and analyzed by “Parse” method. Results: The care givers’ needs and the responses of environment to these needs showed the educational needs of nurses in five core concepts including empathy and emotional support, information and education, participation in decision making, receiving help in voluntary care, and welfare facilities. Conclusion: Although hospital staffs, especially nurses, are often in the best position to meet families’ needs, these needs are not always met. This study confirms the importance of educating health care team, especially nurses based on family caregivers’ needs. It also proposes a framework for teaching necessary skills, especially caring communication in response to care givers’ needs, to nurses and nursing students.