Nurses' perceptions of coping behaviors in hospitalized preschool children

This study examined nurses' perceptions of coping in hospitalized preschool children. Thirty nurses were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and open-ended questions. Analysis included content analysis of the nurses' definitions of coping, strategies used to help children during stressful procedures, and classification of nurses' emotional responses to specific coping behaviors. The majority of nurses defined coping as an outcome, fewer than one third as a process, and none as a trait. Over 80% saw 21 of 40 coping behaviors as coping. Most of these included information-seeking, direct action, seeking help, and movement toward growth or independence. Behaviors that 80% or more of the nurses saw as coping elicited pleasant emotional responses; those that fewer than 50% saw as coping elicited unpleasant responses. Overall, the nurses described 10 types of strategies to help children cope. Only six nurses described more than five types. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.