Supporting families: how are nursing students being prepared for this developing role across Scotland

Increasing emphasis on primary care has led to a reappraisal of the scope and importance of nursing work with families. The purpose of this study was to explore the knowledge base of lecturers in Scotland that underpinned instruction of student nurses in working with families at diploma and undergraduate level. A postal survey was conducted throughout the 11 educational institutions providing pre-registration nursing programmes. Data were collected from a purposive sample and quantitatively analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The response rate was 54.7% (n=95). Findings showed a consensus about the importance of nursing work with families. Family nursing was seen to be relevant across all branches of nursing and academic programmes. There was no statistically significant difference between the levels of academic qualification and perceived knowledge base of lecturers with reference to family nursing theory. The need for a conceptual framework for family nursing was suggested. Knowledge of family nursing literature was limited and necessity for professional development in the teaching of family nursing was acknowledged. The implications of the inquiry point to the need for the integration of family nursing into nursing curricula in Scotland.