The development of family nursing in Denmark: current status and future perspectives

Over the past 12 years, a strong foundation for family nursing has been built in Denmark, with rapid growth in the past 3 years. A review of nursing research conducted in Denmark and published between 2002 and 2013 found 15 studies that examined family phenomena. The majority of the studies used descriptive methods with data collected from surveys and interviews involving family members either together or individually. Only five of the studies examined interventions that included families' perspectives about the intervention being evaluated. Several current research projects lead by Danish nurses examine the implementation of family nursing knowledge to clinical settings. Integration of family nursing theory has begun in Denmark in undergraduate and graduate nursing curricula and in May 2013, the Danish Family Nursing Association was officially established. Infrastructure and financial conference support has made it possible to invite Nordic and international colleagues to meet in Denmark, which, reciprocally, expands understanding and support for family nursing within the country. Further collaboration between Danish nurse researchers, educators, and administrators will help sustain the growth of family nursing science and its application in family-focused nursing practice.