A longitudinal study of aspects of a hospital's family-centred nursing: changing practice through data translation.

Aims: To examine how results and data from multiple Family Centred Nursing Index surveys help the development of family-centred nursing at organizational and ward levels.

Design: A critical analysis of survey data.

Background: The Family Centred Nursing Index provides a valid and reliable assessment of aspects of nursing, through a comprehensive survey of traditional indicators of practice development and a broader range of aspects of practice.

Methods: A survey with 113 questions, each to be answered on 7-point Likert scale conducted six times in the last 7 years. Surveys have been in 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011/2012 and 2012/2013. All nurses employed by the organization can participate.

Results: These are reported as means across 19 constructs linked to five key domains and their significance is examined by year and (in the clinical settings) and compared against the organizational (whole population) averages. Ongoing survey and analysis of nurses' views of their work is providing a valuable source of developmental data. The results show unexpected associations between constructs e.g. - a high level of work stress does not correlate with a lower level of job satisfaction (and vice versa). A clear historical picture of many elements of developing family-centred care is emerging at both the organizational and individual-ward levels.

Conclusion: This study provides insights into aspects of organizational and wards working environment for nurses and how these aspects of nurses' work interact in unexpected ways. It is appropriate for providing information to organizations and ward teams in relation to their development towards family-centred cultures.