Home-care nurses as strangers in the family

As nurses move from the hospital into the home setting, they are challenged to examine boundaries of practice and family-nurse relationships. This phenomenological study was undertaken to explore the experiences of nurses working with families of technology-dependent children in the home. The main theme emerging from the data was the nurse's presence as "a stranger in the family." Additional themes focused on the nurse's advocacy for the child and family, boundary setting, collaboration, and occupational demands.