Objective: To clarify the perplexities faced by nurses supporting families of patients with a malignant brain tumor, from the diagnosis announcement to the initial treatment.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 nurses experienced in dealing with families of patients with brain cancer, from the diagnosis announcement to the initial treatment. The collected data were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach.

Result: The subjects were [frightened at seeing patients and their families in shock] at the diagnosis. Through the diagnosis, announcement and treatment selection, although they told themselves that only the patients and families can make the best decision and respected inconsistent decisions, they [could not function as a nurse and felt distressed]. They felt increased anxiety regarding personality changes in patients and impatience due to the perception gap about the situation between themselves and the families, and wanted to support close family relationships, feeling [anxiety about the loss faced by the families]. They decided to [act as a bridge between and work with] doctors, patients, and families to the last moment.

Discussion: While working, nurses accepted the emotions of patients and families and respected families as they were. Education for nurses to recognize and give a positive meaning to their perplexities will improve the nursing quality.

Conclusion: The perplexities facing nurses working with families of patients with a brain cancer help them become ready to support the lives of patients and families after the initial treatment.

To clarify the experiences of a child’s sibling with congenital heart disease (CHD), the life narrative approach was used to conduct and analyze a semi-structured interview with Miss A, who is in her 20s, based on the sibling’s story. She had a brother with CHD who was three years younger than her. As a child, she had a strong negative image of being a child’s sibling with CHD, and felt that her parents were absent and prioritized her brother over her. However, she gained a deeper comprehension of her brother’s CHD. Additionally, she thought about her mother’s feelings and began to appreciate her. As a result, her perception of the caring role for her brother changed. She started to perceive her circumstances more optimistically as time went on. In addition, she would like to cooperate with him as a family member in the future. Each family has its own role. By proactively understanding the family as a whole, we may help enhance the family’s dynamics. A child with CHD has a variety of effects on the siblings and brings the family together.

This study aimed to investigate the difficulties faced by adolescent children of mothers with breast cancer. It was part of a self-administered questionnaire survey of breast cancer patients and their families conducted in three hospitals and two peer support groups. We used the response data in the free description provided by 27 children of breast cancer patients aged 12 to 18 years. Participants reported facing difficulties such as “thinking of their mother as a breast cancer survivor,” “changes in self-consciousness,” “relationships with family members and one’s role in the family,” and “interacting with others as a cancer patient’s family member.” Maternal breast cancer affected adolescents, caused changes within the family, and affected relationships around the family. To support these adolescents, it is necessary to help mothers accurately inform the children about their illness and, if necessary, introduce them to peers with whom they can share similar experiences and feelings.

This is a case study of a patient with severe heart failure who was discharged from the hospital based on his strong wish, and could continue receiving gentle home care.

Post-discharge, the nurse faced issues such as the patient’s “life crisis,” as well as the “crisis of being unable to decide on a treatment plan” due to a gap with the family’s wishes, and the “crisis of care by the wife.” However, the nurse was determined to provide unwavering support to him until the end. The nurse took actions before a crisis developed by reviewing the patient’s entire journey up to continued home care and continued to take an accepting approach to the entire home care.

The nurse listened to the true feelings of each family member at an appropriate time by becoming a part of the family without being intrusive, and connected the feelings of all family members without leaving anyone out; thus, gradually bringing them together, centered around the patient’s wife. She had been very anxious when he was first discharged from the hospital, therefore, the nurse assured her that there would be immediate nursing support in case of an emergency, and told her not to work too hard to prevent breakdown of the care. The nurse learnt what the wife could do independently and helped her gradually improve this. The nurse respected the patient’s wife, who is the specialist as far as knowing the patient is concerned, and worked closely with her to create the best possible care program for the patient.

The perspective of family assessment, which treats the family as a system, focuses on the relationships between family members as a group and one another as well as the external world (including nurses who provide care). The application of circular epistemology assists in understanding these relationships between multiple people. This perspective emphasizes the need for interactions and communication processes.

G. Bateson emphasized the existence of interaction in human life. He then discussed learning the context of life as a matter of the external relationship between two creatures. And relationship is always a product of double description. It is correct (and a great improvement) to begin to think of the two parties to the interaction as two eyes, each giving a monocular view of what goes on and, together, giving a binocular view in depth. This double view is the relationship.

Understanding this dual depiction is important for practice concerning family nursing, as doing so involves focusing on the narratives of distress and illness that are told and perceived to be the “reality” of the family members. These narratives are the product of coordination between members with regards to interactions within systems both inside and outside the family dynamic. They are the stories told by family members based on the dual depiction aspect of the two parties with whom they interact. Through learning and knowing the context of family members from their narrative accompanied by experiences placed on the time axis, nurses can understand the individuals with depth information that is given meaning for the people involved in the interaction. Interpreting the family system based on circular epistemology is an attempt to visualize family (including patients) interactions, that appears as a “relationship” through the context of the party. And the relationship between the family system and the nurse in the helping relationship is also taken into account in that situation.

Many mothers face postpartum difficulties as they adjust to their role as mothers while recovering both physically and mentally.

This study aimed to determine the instructions and information that independent midwives communicate to mothers during pregnancy and 3–4 months postpartum.

This study included 11 independent midwives from Community A. Focus group interviews were conducted, and the results were analyzed qualitatively and inductively.

The analysis revealed six basic categories of instruction: 1) prioritizing postpartum physical recovery, 2) providing breastfeeding and newborn care instruction during pregnancy and postpartum, 3) giving newborn care methods appropriate for both mother and baby, 4) dealing with crying or sleeping babies, 5) educating about home with the newborn who is adjusting to life changes, and 6) presenting information to help mothers adjust to postpartum life.

Health guidance content varied in terms of when it was communicated. Health guidance was thought to be communicated from the gestational period to promote parental role acquisition and awareness. Further, health guidance, during both the gestational and postpartum periods, conveyed information on coordinating family life and establishing connections with the community for smooth living. During the postpartum period, mothers may have been given information on promoting rest and relaxation, caring for themselves, and enhancing parental role acquisition that was appropriate for them and their children. Additionally, midwives informed mothers who had given birth outside of the midwifery center that they could use the center for consultations. This indicates that practicing midwives provided seamless support during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum, offered support to mothers who had not given birth at the midwifery center, and presented the center as a place for consultations and childcare support to help them live smoothly in the community.