Advancing nursing care for relatives of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer: Insights from a qualitative study

Relatives of patients with colorectal cancer (CC) can be psychosocially affected to such an extent that they risk becoming ill themselves. The aim of this study was 1) to investigate how relatives of people with CC experience the need for nursing support during the hospital stay and at home, which can help improve their health; 2) To generate knowledge that advances and contributes to the development of evidence-based clinical nursing for this group of relatives. The study was based on interviews of relatives of people with CC. The data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and discussed from a health-promoting perspective with the theory on the sense of coherence, and ‘family dialogue’. Findings include that relatives express a need for professional nursing support, with disease management, tailored communication, and coping assistance. This study suggests that advancing nursing practice focusing on support of relatives of individuals with CC in future clinical practice may enhance the health of these relatives.