Nurses’ Perceptions of Parents Staying during Chronically Ill Child’s Hospitalization: Learning to Speak the Same Language

Since parents and nurses are at the forefront of a hospitalized child’s care, it is crucial to understand the views of parents and nurses to provide the best care for the patient. Parental views have been examined by previous research; thus, this qualitative research study assesses nurses’ perceptions concerning the parental role during a child’s hospitalization. Assessing where nurses’ place parents in the medical world will help the overall care of the patient. The results of the semi-structured interviews of two nurses corresponds with the hypothesis that nurses’ view parents as integral to the care of the patient, even if that view creates logistical issues for the nurses. Nurses’ perspectives can inform the pediatric healthcare system to appreciate the vital role of parents in providing the best patient care. Further research can expand on this important area by interviewing different pediatric nurse specialties to establish more comprehensive viewpoints