“Oops sorry, I nearly bumped into you….should we go in? It looks like they have already started.”
This serendipitous encounter in 2017 outside the meeting room of the Research Committee in Navarra, Spain at IFNC13, where two family nurse researchers (one academic from the U.S. and one from an academic practice setting in Switzerland) nearly collided and then gave each other encouragement to enter the room, was the start of the highly successful IFNA Family care in Acute and Critical Illness Research Cluster. The cluster idea had already started to take shape before the conference; however, it was under the hot Spanish sun that this global research project was born. In under four years, this cluster progressed from establishing the group, developing an acute care research project, collecting and analysing the data and getting it published and disseminated. A huge accomplishment for a group whose members predominately interacted virtually – some have never met in person!
This diverse international cluster of sixteen researchers from the U.S., U.K., Switzerland, Austria, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, supported by their local research colleagues and practice partners, is under the leadership of Dr. Sandra Eggenberger (U.S.), Dr. Petra Brysiewicz (South Africa) and Dr. Rahel Naef (Switzerland).
The IFNA Acute Care Research Cluster has provided its members with rich opportunities for individual learning, international collaboration, and for inquiry into a matter of great importance in acute care namely:
“What do ICU nurses actually do to engage families? How do these practices reflect best practice? How are their family engagement practices influenced by the local contexts and cultures? Would it be similar or totally different across the many geographical areas?”
This qualitative research project was carried out in 26 ICUs with 65 nurses. It found that nurse-family engagement is a complex relational and fluctuating process that holds many similarities and few differences across cultures but is clearly shaped by the particular ICU contexts. A first manuscript has been published in a leading international journal, Critical Care Nursing Journal.
This collaboration has provided the opportunity for these family nurse researchers at different stages of their career (from doctoral students and junior or early career researchers to more senior and established family scientists) to grow and experience a true sense of international collegiality, that for many, has matured further into personal friendships. A highlight for many was being able to meet in person for a special lunch at IFNC14in Washington, DC.
The cluster members have often reflected on what has made them successful and have a few tips for others embarking on large international research collaborations. Here are some lessons learnt from this global research:
- Form a core-leadership team
- Enlist committed people
- Create a transparent and clear group process
- Have an open dialogue about expectations and authorship
- Document decisions and procedures and make it accessible for everybody
- Have a spirit of openness and inquiry
And most importantly, enjoy the sense of community and working together – have fun!
Publication
Naef, R., Brysiewicz, P., McAndrew, N. S., Beierwaltes, P., Chiang, V., Clisbee, D., De Beer, J., Honda, J., Kakazu, S., Nagl-Cupal, M., Price, A. M., Richardson, S., Richardson, A., Tehan, T., Barnard-Towell, A., & Eggenberger, S. (in press). ICU nurse-family engagement from a global perspective: A qualitative multi-site exploration. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2021.103081
Presentations
Price, A. M., Brysiewicz, P., Eggenberger, S., & Naef, R. (2019, 16. – 17. September). Engagement of families in ICU from the nursing staff perspective. Paper presented at the British Association of Critical Care Nurses Conference. Edinburgh, UK.
Naef, R., Brysiewicz, P., Eggenberger, S., Beierwaltes, P., Chiang, V., Clisbee, D., de Beer, J., Ewens, B., Honda, J., McAndrew, N. S., Nagl-Cupal, M., Price, A. M., Richardson, A., Richardson, S., Tehan, T., & Barnard-Towell, A. (2019, 12. – 15. August). Engaging with families during critical illness: An international study of nurses’ descriptions and practices of family engagement in intensive care units. Paper presented at the 14thInternational Family Nursing Conference Washington DC, US.
Brysiewicz, P., Naef, R., Eggenberger, S., Beierwaltes, P., Chiang, V., Clisbee, D., de Beer, J., Ewens, B., Honda, J., McAndrew, N. S., Nagl-Cupal, M., Price, A. M., Richardson, A., Richardson, S., Tehan, T., & Barnard-Towell, A. (2019, 12. – 15. August). Innovative global family research: Lessons learnt from the IFNA Acute Care Research Cluster. Paper presented at the 14th International Family Nursing Conference Washington DC, US.
Rahel Naef is a Professor in the Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Petra Brysiewicz is a Professor in the School of Nursing & Public Health at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.
Sandra Eggenberger is Professor and founding Director of the Glen Taylor Nursing Institute for Family and Society at Minnesota State University, Mankato, in the U.S.
