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Bowen Family Systems Theory: Mapping a framework to support critical care nurses’ well‐being and care quality
Author(s) -
Jakimowicz Samantha,
Perry Lin,
Lewis Joanne
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nursing philosophy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.367
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1466-769X
pISSN - 1466-7681
DOI - 10.1111/nup.12320
Subject(s) - nursing , compassion , blame , psychology , critical care nursing , psychological intervention , intensive care , intensive care unit , nursing care , medicine , health care , social psychology , psychiatry , intensive care medicine , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Intensive care nursing is prone to episodic anxiety linked to patients’ immediate needs for treatment. Balancing biomedical interventions with compassionate patient‐centred nursing can be particularly anxiety provoking. These patterns of anxiety may impact compassion and patient‐centred nursing. The aim of this paper is to discuss the application of Bowen Family Systems Theory to intensive care nursing, mapping a framework to support critical care nurses’ well‐being and, consequently, the quality of care they provide. This article is founded on research, theoretical papers and texts focused on Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST), and findings from a constructivist study on patient‐centred nursing and compassion in the intensive care unit. The goal of Bowen Family Systems Theory is to empower individuals, decreasing blame and reactivity. Bowen Family Systems Theory can be applied to the sometimes intimate relationships that develop in this environment, aiding understanding of nurses’ experience of compassion satisfaction and fatigue. Where organizational factors and management styles fall short in supporting critical care nurses to meet expectations, BFST can offer a perspective on the processes that occur within the intensive care unit, impacting nurse well‐being and quality of care. This paper makes plain the importance of understanding the anxiety that occurs within the intensive care unit as a system, so that individuals, such as critical care nurses, can be supported appropriately to ensure nurse well‐being and quality care.