Quality of pediatric nursing care in Finland: children's perspective

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Child Health Research
• Patient Experience Studies

Background:

• Assessing pediatric nursing care quality is crucial for improving child patient outcomes.
• Understanding children's perspectives provides unique insights into healthcare experiences.
• Previous research has explored various aspects of pediatric care, but children's direct perceptions require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of pediatric nursing care from the viewpoint of children aged 7 to 11.
• To identify specific aspects of care that children perceive positively or negatively.
• To explore the relationship between children's characteristics (age, admission type) and their care experiences.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 388 children aged 7 to 11 in Finland.
• Children rated different facets of nursing care, including environment, nurse characteristics, and activities.
• Data were analyzed to identify trends and correlations.

Main Results:

• Children perceived the nursing environment, nurses' humanity, trustworthiness, caring, and communication as excellent.
• Children were most critical of nurses' entertainment activities, such as playing with them.
• Children's age and type of admission were associated with the amount of information they received.

Conclusions:

• Pediatric nurses are perceived positively in core care aspects, but opportunities exist to enhance engagement through play.
• Tailoring information delivery based on children's age and admission status is important.
• The assessment instrument requires further development and validation for future use.