Parents' Reactions to Pedia Tric Critical Care Settings: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

The literature was reviewed to identify parents' reactions to pediatric critical care settings and interventions to facilitate parental adaptation. A number of descriptive accounts and several empirical studies indicated that crisis and mourning reactions occur. The literature suggested the following parental reactions to crisis: shock, high anxiety, fear, withdrawal, denial, and anger. Parental mourning was interpreted as grieving for loss of a healthy child. Parental behaviors varied from hesitancy to approach the bedside to touching and stroking the child. Specific parental stressors were identified and categorized as follows: sights and sounds, child's appearance, child's behavior and emotions, staff communication, staff behaviors, procedures, parental role alteration, and unmet parental needs. Interventions to facilitate parental adaptation were preparation for admission, communication, visitation, assessment, crisis intervention, and participation in care. None of the interventions was supported with empirical findings. There was consistency, however, between sources in their recommendations for interventions.