Parents´experiences of their child´s anesthesia and surgery.

Introduction:Among children and parents, the word surgery alone can be experienced as daunting. It may arouse feelings of anxiety, anxiety, anxiety and fear. The worries and anxieties can be reduced if parents and children are allowed to participate in the preoperative preparation. Purpose: The objective was to describe parents' experiences in connection with their child´s surgery and anesthesia. Method: The method was a systematic literature review. The data bases PsycINFO and Cinahl were used to retrieve articles based on parents´experiences and perceptions of their children´s surgery and anesthesia. The final number of articles included was 14 and the study design was both qualitative (n=6) and quantitative (n=8). Results: The results showed that information about the child's surgery and anesthesia could have a calming effect on the parents. It was very important that parents understood and could absorbed the information given. The hardest parts for the parents´ was the child´s anesthesia and that they had to leave the child behind in the operating room. Conclusion and clinicalimplications: Parents whose children are undergoing surgical care have a very great need for information about what will happen to their child. They should be treated in a professional manner as this can have significant impact on how they experience the care given, thus this is important to acknowledge in clinical care