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Published on: October 2, 2019

Practices and provisions for parents sleeping overnight with a hospitalized child

Robyn Stremler1, Lily Wong, Christopher Parshuram

  • 1Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1P8, Canada. robyn.stremler@utoronto.ca

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|October 2, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Parents can stay overnight with hospitalized children, but sleep limitations and visitor restrictions can separate families. This study surveyed hospital practices regarding parental overnight stays and involvement in overnight care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric healthcare practices
  • Family-centered care in hospitals
  • Hospital policies on parental presence

Background:

  • Parental presence during hospitalization is increasingly recognized as vital for child well-being.
  • Understanding current hospital policies on overnight stays is crucial for improving family-centered care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe hospital practices related to parents' overnight stays.
  • To examine provisions for parents sleeping overnight.
  • To assess parental involvement in overnight care of hospitalized children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted.
  • The survey included Canadian and American hospitals with at least 50 acute pediatric beds and two pediatric wards.
  • A 77% response rate was achieved with 135 hospitals completing the survey.

Main Results:

  • All general pediatric units permitted parents to sleep at the bedside overnight.
  • Higher acuity units imposed limitations on parental stays.
  • Most hospitals restricted overnight visitors to one parent, with few allowing siblings.
  • Parental involvement in overnight care was reported by 99% of hospitals, with 39% expecting it.

Conclusions:

  • Parents generally have opportunities for overnight stays at the bedside.
  • Barriers exist that limit parental sleep during a child's hospitalization.
  • Current practices can inadvertently separate families with hospitalized children.
Abstract

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