10 Nursing Interventions for Family Caregivers

This book shines a light on the family caregiver, who cares for their loved one when nurses are not involved. It guides nurses to identify and partner with family caregivers and infuses confidence and desire to support them. The unique feature of this book is to provide nurses with the ability to see themselves in the role of supporting the family caregiver in their own practices with older people. Written in story form with teachable moments interjected within, it develops on the struggles and needs of the family caregiver. 

This book draws the nurse closer to the family caregiver using empathy, compassion, and competency; it elaborates on best practices to support key interventions that every professional nurse can do. Narrowing to 10 key nursing interventions helps establish the scope of family caregiver nursing care. Much of family caregiver care stems from compassion and “being with” and supporting the patient through difficult times. This is both an art and a skill. This much needed book guides nurses towards the family caregiver, the silent patient.

Dr. Saunders is a certified Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) with expertise in adult-gerontology patient and family caregiver (FC) care. Her experience in family caregiving began during her studies for her PhD in nursing. At that time, her own mother’s health was at risk due to the toll of caring for her spouse who was suffering with heart failure (HF). This story was captured in Dr. Saunders first publication titled, “Family Caregivers Need Support with Heart Failure Patients.” Following this work, she went on to complete her dissertation research with 50 family caregivers (FCs) for patients with HF to identify evidence of caregiver burden, depression, lower quality of life, and a correlation with patient re-hospitalizations. That work led to her next investigation comparing employed HF FCs to unemployed HF FCs. She has additional expertise with FCs for patients suffering from cancer pain and FCs for patients with dementia. In dementia, her focus has been on decisions regarding nutrition and older women spousal caregivers for husbands with dementia. Her most recent NIH funded study examined the transition to widowhood following dementia caregiving among older, rural and urban widows. Dr. Saunders research expertise and passion rests in qualitative methodology. Overall, Dr. Saunders has nine awards, 16 publications, and 18 conference presentations on her FC research.

Dr. Saunders is the current President for the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (2023-2024). A Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) unique focus is to provide nurses with the tools and knowledge to practice nursing optimally. Dr. Saunders has functioned as lead faculty and director for a CNS program since 2007. She has expertise in curriculum development and evaluation. She speaks nationally and publishes regularly to promote nursing practice and education.