Caregiving and caregivers

[Jenny P]

Is this personal research (as in "how do you cope; when do you take care of yourself?"- maybe because you are caring for someone yourself) or is this for a research study (like for a doctorate; etc?). My husband has MS and I would answer 2 totally different ways, depending on the reason for your research. You need to define what you are looking for and the reasons behind why you are doing this first.

[ccd]

I'm interested in conducting some personal research about nurses who are also caregivers for an immediate family member with a long-term medical condition. I realize I could ask nurse-by-nurse at the acute care facility where I work, but I don't feel it's appropriate for obvious reasons. Does anyone have any starting suggestions?

Thank you.

[justanurse]

I'm with Jenny P. As of last spring, I am cargiver to my husband. Let me tell you, just because you know what's going on, doesn't mean anyone thinks you do. Doctors and nurses start to explain things to you and then when you tell them that you're a critical care nurse, they start to back-pedal pretty quick.

[Charles S. Smith, RN, MS]

Originally posted by ccd:

I'm interested in conducting some personal research about nurses who are also caregivers for an immediate family member with a long-term medical condition. I realize I could ask nurse-by-nurse at the acute care facility where I work, but I don't feel it's appropriate for obvious reasons. Does anyone have any starting suggestions?

Thank you.

Are you interested in formal research? If you are interested in formal research, contact a nursing faculty member at your nearest university to guide you in the process. If you are interested in informal research ask a few simple questions on this bulletin board and collect the anecdotes. The anecdotes can be turned into a great qualitative research project at a future point in time. If you need help with the questions, email me. Go to my profile and get my website address or email address. I will be glad to help. I have taken care of my mother, step-father and brother through long term illnesses up to and including their transitions from this life to the next.

It is a fascinating topic really.

regards

chas