Parental presence or absence during paediatric burn wound care procedures

Differing views on benefits and disadvantages of parental presence during their child's wound care after burn injury leave the topic surrounded by controversies. This study aimed to describe and explain parents' experiences of their presence or absence during wound care.

Shortly after the burn event, 22 semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children (0-16 years old) that underwent hospitalization in one of the three Dutch burn centers. Eighteen of these parents also participated in follow-up interviews three to six months after discharge. Interviews were analyzed using grounded theory methodology.

Analyses resulted in themes that were integrated into a model, summarizing key aspects of parental presence during wound care. These aspects include parental cognitions and emotions (e.g., shared distress during wound care), parental abilities and needs (e.g., controlling own emotions, being responsive, and gaining overall control) and the role of burn care professionals.

Findings emphasize the distressing nature of wound care procedures. Despite the distress, parents expressed their preference to be present. The abilities to control their own emotions and to be responsive to the child's needs were considered beneficial for both the child and the parent. Importantly, being present increased a sense of control in parents that helped them to cope with the situation. For parents not present, the professional was the intermediary to provide information about the healing process that helped parents to deal with the situation. In sum, the proposed model provides avenues for professionals to assess parents' abilities and needs on a daily basis and to adequately support the child and parent during wound care.