Ethics of Compassionate Care in the Family: Caring for the Caregiver

Abstract

Introduction

Compassionate care is an ethical action within the primary mission of a professional nurse: caring. And more specifically, this also includes caring for the family caregiver. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the ethics of compassion and the care of the family caregiver.

Methodology

This study is a bibliographical review. The databases consulted were PUBMED, CINAHL, CUIDEN, and CUIDATGE.

Results

12 articles were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The results were structured in compassionate ethics of care in the community, family caregivers, education of families, therapeutic relationship, and compassionate care in everyday things.

Discussion

More qualitative studies are needed on informal caregivers and their care needs. The high numbers of female informal caregivers should also be considered when contemplating these needs. This implies the need to develop specific programs for women caregivers. It is also evident that most interventions on informal caregivers turn out to be effective.

Conclusions

Nurses should lead the delivery of care programs for informal caregivers. This review has demonstrated the satisfactory results achieved by most interventions on informal caregivers. Extending compassionate care to family caregivers is an ethical duty of every nursing professional.