Using group concept mapping to explore the complexities of managing children's care

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Complex Care Coordination

Background:

• Children with complex health needs often require specialized, individually tailored continuing care packages.
• Existing statutory and universal services may be insufficient for these children, necessitating bespoke solutions.
• A project group initiated a study to understand the challenges faced by children's community nurses (CCNs) in managing these care packages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the complexities involved in managing bespoke continuing care packages for children.
• To gain consensus from experienced children's community nurses (CCNs) on these management complexities.
• To develop a conceptual framework illustrating the multifaceted nature of managing pediatric continuing care.

Main Methods:

• Employed Group Concept Mapping (GCM), a mixed-methods approach.
• Engaged 20 children's community nurses (CCNs) to identify and prioritize management complexities.
• Utilized multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis to develop a concept map.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive concept map was generated, comprising 99 statements.
• These statements were organized into five key conceptual clusters: 'education and training', 'risk and safety', 'continuing care process', 'relationships and boundaries', and 'working with families'.
• The analysis revealed the intricate factors CCNs navigate when managing complex pediatric care.

Conclusions:

• Children's community nurses (CCNs) utilize Group Concept Mapping (GCM) to articulate the complexities of managing continuing care packages.
• A five-cluster conceptual framework emerged, reflecting CCNs' perspectives on managing pediatric continuing care.
• This framework can enhance CCN practice, inform workforce planning, and potentially be adapted by other nursing teams.