Palliativ vård för barn : Stöd och tröst till det svårt sjuka barnet och dess familj

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to highlight what is perceived as- and what is not perceived as- supportive and comforting, by the sick child in palliative care, and by its family. Method: Systematic literature review in which only scientific articles from the years 2001-2010 have been included. Analysis: A method inspired by qualitative content analysis was used. Results: The analysis revealed five categories of what the sick child and its family experienced as supportive and comforting - and what was perceived negatively - in the context of palliative care for children. The results showed that it was very important to have competent, dedicated and compassionate staff that not only care for the child but also see to the whole family. Recurrence factors were the importance of straight and honest information and communication and to be close and involved in the child's care. Discussion: The results summarized available research on comfort to families in the palliative care for children and may be of importance in clinical practice due to the lack of depth in the available literature. Conclusion: For a nurse to be present and accessible, appears to be the greatest help for grieving families