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Nurses around the world have described family-centred care (FCC) in various ways. With limited evidence regarding its implementation and with dissent among professionals regarding outcomes that are amorphously defined across age groups, systems and global settings, a group of children's nursing experts from around the world collaborated to seek clarification of the terms, deconstruct the elements in the model and describe empirically a consensus of values toward operationally defining FCC. A modified Delphi method was used drawing on expert opinions of participants from eight countries to develop a contemporary and internationally agreed list of 27 statements (descriptors of FCC) that could form the foundation for a measure for future empirical psychometric study of FCC across settings and countries. Results indicated that even among FCC experts, understandings of FCC differ and that this may account for some of the confusion and conceptual disagreement. Recommendations were identified to underpin the development of a clearer vision of FCC.

Issues and Purpose: To identify the similarities and differences between pediatric nurses in the United States and Britain, and to compare knowledge of each other's healthcare systems., Design and Methods: A descriptive comparative study of 55 U.S. pediatric nurses and 37 U.K. paediatric nurses. Knowledge tests were constructed as parallel forms of items about each healthcare system. "Self-knowledge" and "other-knowledge" scores were compared., Results: British nurses' scores were higher for self and other than were U.S. nurses' scores. Individual items suggested that U.K. nurses were more aware of U.S. systems than U.S. nurses were of U.K. systems., Practice Implications: The U.S. and U.K. health systems are equally progressive, yet fundamentally different. To collaborate effectively, we must understand the similarities and differences.