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The needs and experiences of long term ventilated children and their families

Beverley Cejer1

  • 1PICU, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Paediatric Nursing
|July 12, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Long-term ventilated children and their families face significant unmet needs, including prolonged intensive care stays and challenges with home life. Understanding their experiences is crucial for effective healthcare planning.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric critical care medicine
  • Family-centered healthcare

Background:

  • Effective planning for long-term ventilated children requires understanding family needs.
  • Current healthcare provisions may not fully address the complexities faced by these families.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize existing research on the needs and experiences of long-term ventilated children and their families.
  • To identify key themes and persistent challenges in their care journey.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of eight small-scale studies focusing on long-term ventilated children.
  • Analysis of reported themes including intensive care unit (ICU) stay, discharge planning, and home life.

Main Results:

  • Identified recurring themes: prolonged ICU stays, challenges in discharge planning, difficulties with life at home, and the dual role of parent and nurse.
  • Children reported a lack of control and inability to live a normal life.
  • Significant unmet needs persist, especially concerning prolonged ICU stays.

Conclusions:

  • Despite improvements, long-term ventilated children and their families experience substantial unmet needs.
  • Healthcare professionals must prioritize understanding and addressing these needs for better care delivery.
  • The intensive care unit environment is often unsuitable for prolonged stays, highlighting a critical gap in care.

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