Role perception of mothers who have hospitalized children

Childhood illness and hospitalization are stressful events for a family. Minimizing the trauma of hospitalization for children and their parents is a goal for health care workers in pediatric settings. This study examined the way in which mothers perceive their role in caring for their hospitalized children. Communication between the nurse and mother concerning that role was also explored. Results showed that the majority of mothers prefer to perform many child-care activities for their hospitalized children. However, relatively few mothers reported that they had received any communication regarding their role with their child from the staff.