Primary caregivers perceptions of nursing behaviors that best meet their needs in a home care hospice setting

The purpose of this exploratory study was to provide baseline data to determine which nursing behaviors are perceived to be most helpful to 20 primary caregivers in a home care hospice setting. A Q-sort was used to rank 75 nursing behaviors from those being most helpful to those being least helpful. These categories were as follows: 1) nursing behaviors relating primarily to the patients' physical needs; 2) nursing behaviors relating primarily to the patients' psychosocial needs; and 3) nursing behaviors relating primarily to the psychosocial needs of the primary caregiver. Family members found nursing behaviors directed toward the patient to be more helpful than those behaviors directed toward themselves. Identifying the needs of families in a home care hospice setting in essence indicates direction for planning meaningful nursing care for patients with cancer and their families.