Background:

Caring for the family in the emergency department is challenging for nursing due to the specificities and challenges of the context. Although the evidence reveals the family’s experiences and needs, little is known about nurses’ experiences.

Objective:

To understand nurses’ lived experiences of caring for the family in the emergency department.

Methodology:

Qualitative study with Van Kaam’s phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 nurses. The Moustakas’ modified method guided data analysis.

Results:

Nurses’ lived experiences revealed eight dimensions: 1) “Feeling responsible”; 2) “Initially welcome the family”; 3) “Host the family in the emergency department”; 4) “To be fully present”; 5) “To cuddle in suffering”; 6) “Dance, with the family, in a borderline situation”; 7) “Comfort guided on the information”; and 8) “Let yourself be carefully touched by the family’s experience”.

Conclusion:

Nurses’ experiences reveal dimensions of the phenomenon in clinical practice, highlighting the importance of therapeutic communication with the families, their presence in resuscitation situations, and the need for family conferences.

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