Parents in accident and emergency: roles and concerns

Attending Accident and Emergency (A&E) with a child who has sustained a minor injury is a common experience for parents. Little research has focused on parents' behaviour in these circumstances, but children in previous studies have identified parents as their primary source of support. This article reports findings from a qualitative study that reveals the responsibilities that parents adopt and the concerns they express. Data were collected through observation of the A&E experience of thirty-four children and the parents who accompanied them. Ten parents were interviewed at home a few days after the visit to A&E. Analysis revealed that parents adopted a number of roles: support, advocate, communicator, guide/enforcer and entertainer. Sources of concern included the child's injuries, but responsibilities such as work and the welfare of other siblings became more pressing once parents realised that the child's injuries were not serious. In addition parents' behaviour and comments indicated that they were anxious that practitioners should see them as responsible and caring parents. Anxieties could impair parents' ability to adopt the roles described suggesting that practitioners seeking to reduce the psychological impact of A&E encounters on the child must also recognise and manage parental concerns.