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[The accompanying male parent in the intensive care unit]
Insights
Fathers increasingly provide bedside care for hospitalized children when mothers cannot. This study surveyed male companions in a pediatric intensive care unit to understand their role and motivations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Family-Centered Care
- Sociology of Health
Context:
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a Provincial Pediatric Teaching Hospital.
- Study conducted in the first trimester of 1987.
- Focus on male companions (fathers) of hospitalized children.
Purpose:
- To determine the sequence of paternal involvement in childcare for hospitalized children.
- To understand the motivations and demographics of fathers acting as primary caregivers.
- To identify the advantages of male companions from nursing personnel's perspective.
Summary:
- Surveyed 54 male companions in a pediatric ICU; most were workers aged 17-25 with secondary education.
- Primary reasons for fathers' presence were their desire to be there and mothers' inability to provide care.
- Most fathers reported no economic difficulties during their child's hospitalization.
Impact:
- Highlights the evolving role of fathers in pediatric healthcare.
- Provides insights into family dynamics and support systems in critical care settings.
- Informs nursing staff about the benefits and considerations of involving fathers in patient care.
Abstract:
A study is made in the Intensive Care Unit of "José L. Miranda" Provincial Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Santa Clara in order to know the sequence with which the father occupies the place of the mother in the care of hospitalized children. With this objective, 54 male companions are surveyed in the first trimester of 1987. The prevailing occupational profile was that of worker. A higher number of the respondents were between 17 and 25 years of age. The school level of secondary school prevailed among patient companions. Most of them reported no economic inconveniences during the child's disease. The desire to remain at the bedside and the inability of the mother to do so were the major reasons for their stay. The advantages recognized by the nursing personnel in male companions are made known.