A Research Base for Humane Care: Hospitalized Children and Their Families

Abstract

Since Bowlby's identification of separation anxiety in young children, much knowledge has been gained about children and families in their adaptation to hospitalization. Attitudes of children, parents, and staff play a vital role in adjustment to a hospital experience. At St. Vincent Hospital in Billings, Montana, a Pediatric parent/staff project was carried out over a period of approximately 2 years. These objectives were identified and all were met, to some degree 1) to increase pediatric staff's awareness of the needs of parents of hospitalized children, 2) to increase the staff's effectiveness in helping parents and hospitalized children, and 3) to increase parents' positive feelings about their child's nursing care. Staff participated in identifying, planning, and implementing strategies for helping parents to help their children cope with the threats of hospitalization. This research and other studies, before and after, have contributed to a knowledge base about the kinds of nursing intervention that will facilitate normal growth and development and foster positive coping for the hospitalized child and family. Research efforts now must turn to the questions of why these interventions are not being implemented and how this research base can be utilized in the day-to-day pediatric hospital environment. Pediatric nurses must be child/family advocates. To ensure humane care, they must be organized and accountable for their own efforts toward the implementation of the research base that is already in existence.