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Family-centred care in paediatric and neonatal nursing--a literature review
Insights
Defining family-centered care is challenging due to varied contexts and lack of consensus. Developing a South African model requires focusing on parent participation in pediatric and neonatal nursing.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Pediatric Care
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- Family-centered care (FCC) lacks a universally agreed-upon definition, complicated by diverse societal contexts.
- Internationally, FCC is often parent-led, in consultation with healthcare providers.
- A specific FCC model for South Africa is needed, emphasizing parent participation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review literature on family-centered care in pediatric and neonatal nursing.
- To explore knowledge and attitudes of nurses and educators towards FCC in Gauteng Province.
- To inform the development of a context-specific FCC model for South Africa.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on family-centered care.
- Exploration of historical developments in parental care in the USA, UK, and South Africa.
- Analysis of precursor concepts, cultural dimensions, and family strengths in FCC.
Main Results:
- Difficulty in defining family-centered care due to lack of consensus and diverse applications.
- International models often position parents as leaders in consultation with nurses.
- Parent participation is identified as a crucial precursor for FCC.
Conclusions:
- A clear definition of family-centered care is needed for consistent application.
- A culturally relevant family-centered care model for South Africa should prioritize parent participation.
- Further research is required to understand and implement effective FCC in the South African context.
Abstract:
A literature review of family-centred care in paediatric and neonatal nursing was undertaken as part of a research project. This research intended to ascertain the knowledge and attitudes of paediatric and neonatal qualified nurses and nurse educators towards family-centred care as it pertains to infants and children in hospitals in the Gauteng Province. A definition of family-centred care is difficult to formulate mainly due to the lack of consensus about its meaning. Additionally, the diverse societal contexts within which family-centred care is applied further complicate its definition. Internationally in developed countries, family-centred care is viewed as care, which is parent-led in consultation with the nurse practitioner. A family-centred care model for the South African context needs to be developed with the focus on parent participation, a precursor of family-centred care. This article traces the early developments in parental care for hospitalised children with specific reference to the USA, the UK and South Africa. Precursor concepts in family-centred care are described followed by a cursory overview of the reality of family-centred care, its cultural dimensions and matters of family strengths and choices in family-centred care.