Nurses' perceptions of their ability to interact with family members in the intensive care unit

The purpose of this research was to explore and describe nurses' perceptions of their ability to interact with families under a variety of circumstances in the intensive care unit. Bandura's theory of self-efficacy (1986) provided a framework for the study. Twenty-six critical care nurses ranked their experiences and perceived self-efficacy on a list of twenty situations of family-nurse interaction. Information about years of experience in critical care nursing, personal experience of family illness, and family nursing courses was also gathered. The results of this study suggest that nurses' sense of self-efficacy varies with the circumstances of family-nurse interaction. Level of self-efficacy was also significantly related to nursing experience with families and to previous family course work. This study has implications for nursing administration, education, and practice. Suggestions for further research are also made.