Parents of critically ill children have their needs too! A literature review

Children are very special people in the lives of their parents. Much of the life of the parents is concerned with meeting the needs of the children, giving them nurturance, love, protection and support. A child's parents will be the dominant factor in providing that environment in which the child develops and comes to understand his/her self, role in the family unit and relationship with the world at large. This process of understanding and development is a process that continues throughout the life of the child. Given that parents can exercise particular influence upon the child, the way in which parents interpret and relate any experience or situation which affects the child may influence the child's adaptation and understanding to this situation. It would, therefore, be reasonable to suggest that if the parents are able to relate the positive aspects of any given situation to a child (particularly the positive aspects of adverse situations) then the child's adaptation to and understanding of this situation may be facilitated. This unique influence and understanding implicit in the parental role has important implications for health care workers, for in their care of hospitalised children the involvement and co-operation of the parents is essential if adverse reactions to hospitalisation are to be minimised. However the parents will only be able to assist the health care team to meet the needs of the child if their own needs are also acknowledged and satisfied. With this in mind this review of the literature will focus upon the needs of parents whose children have been admitted into a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)