Support group for families with children in a pediatric intensive care unit

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the process of creating and implementing a support group for families with children in a pediatric intensive care unit. Methods: A professional experience report described using a management and planning tool. Results: This is a pioneering initiative in the hospital. The application of the tool enabled the delineation of the scope, justification, location, frequency, responsible persons, approach, and budget. After its implementation, the group enables significant interaction between health professionals-families and families-families, favoring the formation of therapeutic bonds and stimulating social and emotional support networks. Conclusion: The tool effectively planned the group and highlighted its effects on family coping and the relationships between professionals and families.

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Clinical Nurse Participation at Family Conferences in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc2016817 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 489-497 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Anne C. Watson ◽

Tessie W. October

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

Patient Care ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care ◽

Clinical Nurse ◽

Clinical Nurses ◽

Family Conference ◽

The Family

Background Clinical nurses attend family conferences in the intensive care unit, but their role during these meetings is not yet fully understood. Objectives To assess perceived and observed contributions of the clinical nurse during family conferences. Methods Prospective cross-sectional survey and review of 40 audio-recorded family conferences conducted in the 44-bed pediatric intensive care unit of an urban pediatric hospital. Results Survey responses from 47 nurses were examined. Most nurses thought it important to attend family conferences, but identified workload as a barrier to attendance. They perceived their roles as gaining firsthand knowledge of the discussion and providing a unique perspective regarding patient care, emotional support, and advocacy. Audio recordings revealed that bedside nurses attended 20 (50%) of 40 family conferences and spoke in 5 (25%) of the 20. Nurses verbally contributed 4.6% to the overall speech at the family conference, mostly providing information on patient care. Conclusions The clinical nurse is often absent or silent during family conferences in the intensive care unit, despite the important roles they want to play in these settings. Strategies to improve both the physical and verbal participation of clinical nurses during the family conference are suggested, especially in the context of previous research demonstrating the need for more attention in family conferences to social-emotional support and patient advocacy.

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Factors Related to Parent Attendance at a Follow-Up Meeting With an Intensivist After a Child’s Death in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.1177/0030222817724701 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 436-445

Author(s):

Markita L. Suttle ◽

Cynthia A. Gerhardt ◽

Marci Z. Fults

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care Unit ◽

Intensive Care ◽

High Risk ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit ◽

Emotional Support ◽

Pediatric Intensive Care ◽

Bereaved Parents ◽

Specific Subset ◽

Child's Death

Parents who experience the death of a child are at high risk for psychopathology. Because a large percentage of pediatric deaths occur in the pediatric intensive care unit each year, a follow-up meeting between bereaved parents and intensivists could provide essential emotional support, although some parents may not attend. The aim of this study was to explore demographic and medical factors that may distinguish between bereaved parents who attend a follow-up meeting with their child’s pediatric intensivist and those who do not. Our analysis revealed that parents of children who died of trauma were less likely to attend a follow-up meeting with an intensivist. It is possible that symptoms of posttraumatic stress play a role in these findings. Enhanced efforts to identify other interventions for this specific subset of bereaved parents may be necessary.

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