BACKGROUND: The hospitalisation of a child is a stressful event for parents. Parents who are also nurses may face additional challenges not encountered by other parents; yet, scant attention has been given to this issue in the literature. AIM: To explore the experiences of Nurse-Parents whose children were hospitalised for acute illnesses. METHODS/ DESIGN: Using a case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six registered nurses and thematically analysed. RESULTS/ FINDINGS: Nurse-Parents experienced significant conflicts between their parental role and nurse persona as they were 'torn between dual roles'. Nurse-Parents' specialised knowledge prompted them to elevate the care their child needed, leading to increased stress and anxiety as they struggled to balance these roles. CONCLUSION: Nurse-Parents want and need a different type of input into their children's care than non-nurse-parents. An increased awareness among healthcare professionals is the first step to ensuring that effective and individualised support is provided to Nurse-Parents.
BACKGROUND: The hospitalisation of a child is a stressful event for parents. Parents who are also nurses may face additional challenges not encountered by other parents; yet, scant attention has been given to this issue in the literature. AIM: To explore the experiences of Nurse-Parents whose children were hospitalised for acute illnesses. METHODS/ DESIGN: Using a case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six registered nurses and thematically analysed. RESULTS/ FINDINGS: Nurse-Parents experienced significant conflicts between their parental role and nurse persona as they were 'torn between dual roles'. Nurse-Parents' specialised knowledge prompted them to elevate the care their child needed, leading to increased stress and anxiety as they struggled to balance these roles. CONCLUSION: Nurse-Parents want and need a different type of input into their children's care than non-nurse-parents. An increased awareness among healthcare professionals is the first step to ensuring that effective and individualised support is provided to Nurse-Parents.
Entities:
Keywords:
Nurse-Family Member; Nurse-Parent; case study; dual role; nursing; paediatrics; parent experience; qualitative research
Authors: Wadad El Khatib; Mirna Fawaz; Mohammad N Al-Shloul; Ahmad Rayan; Mohammed ALBashtawy; Rasmieh M Al-Amer; Asem Abdalrahim; Moawiah Khatatbeh Journal: SAGE Open Nurs Date: 2022-10-12