Practices that facilitate critically burned children's holistic healing

Area of Science:

• Pediatric nursing
• Critical care
• Holistic healing

Background:

• Medical advancements increase survival rates for critically injured children.
• Pediatric burn intensive care units (BICUs) present unique physical and emotional challenges for patients and families.
• Pediatric burn nurses face extraordinary demands in providing comprehensive care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of pediatric burn intensive care unit nurses.
• To identify nursing practices that promote holistic healing in critically burned children.
• To articulate the essence of 'Healing the Child Within'.

Main Methods:

• An interpretive study design was employed.
• Data collection involved 112 hours of interviews with 16 nurses.
• 134 hours of observational data were gathered on nursing practices in the pediatric burn intensive care unit.

Main Results:

• Twelve distinct nursing practices contributing to holistic healing were identified.
• These practices were aggregated under the overarching theme 'Healing the Child Within'.
• Observed practices included laughing, playing, singing, talking, and praying with children.

Conclusions:

• Everyday interactions are crucial for maintaining or reestablishing the harmony of a child's mind, body, and spirit.
• Holistic care in pediatric burn units extends beyond physical treatment to encompass emotional and spiritual well-being.
• The identified practices offer valuable insights for optimizing care for critically burned children.