Predicting Factors Towards the Attitudes of Family Involvement in Nursing Care among Second-Year Nursing Students in a Selected School of Nursing in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Family involvement is a vital component of patientcentered care. This study aimed to examine the predicting factors towards the attitudes of family involvement in care among second-year Nursing students in a selected School of Nursing in Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students (N=237) at the School of Nursing Kalutara. Convenience sampling method was used. A Families’ Importance in Nursing Care – Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) scale, which includes four dimensions: family as a conversational partner, a coping resource, a resource in nursing care, and a burden, was used to collect data. The scale’s internal consistency was compared and assessed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of more than 0.7. Both, descriptive and inferential statistics was used. The student nurses have positive attitudes toward family as a resource in nursing care (M= 37.69, SD = 4.62), and as a conversational partner (M=30.96, SD = 3.78). Family as a conversational partner significantly differs for males and females (t = -2.06, p=0.04). Female nursing students have a higher positive attitude toward family as a conversational partner (M=31.06, SD =3.76) than that of male nursing students (M= 29.77, SD = 3.77). According to the individual significance values of the linear regression model, gender (β = 3.67, t = 2.22, p < 0.03) presented a significant effect on the attitude of nursing students towards family involvement in nursing care. Cultural and regional influences on attitudes towards family involvement is still researchable. Further research is needed on this phenomenon.