Parents' views of caring for children with gastrostomies.

Gastrostomy feeding devices are becoming increasingly popular. With their increased use in the paediatric surgical unit, it became apparent that care and information given to children and their families were in need of review. Following a literature review, a self-report questionnaire was developed to assess areas for change, based on parents' perceptions. The findings suggested that information given to all those involved in the child's care needed to be improved, and identified the most common problems experienced by parents when caring for a child with a gastrostomy. The findings had implications for future practice and highlighted the need for paediatric nurses to keep pace with change in order to ensure optimum care for children and their families.