Parental Experiences While Waiting For Children Undergoing Surgery in Singapore
Wen Jing Hui1, Minna Pikkarainen2, Shireen Anne Nah3
1Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Division of Nursing, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
Journal of Pediatric Nursing
|January 28, 2020
Summary
Parental waiting experiences during pediatric surgery are unsettling. Key factors include care, concerns about complications, and coping strategies, with recommendations for improved hospital communication and technology.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Healthcare Experience
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Waiting periods during pediatric surgery can be stressful for parents.
- Understanding parental needs is crucial for improving healthcare quality.
- Previous research has not fully explored these specific experiences in Singapore.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences and needs of parents during their children's surgical waiting periods.
- To identify factors influencing parental waiting experiences.
- To gather recommendations for enhancing the hospital environment and care provision.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive qualitative study utilizing thematic analysis.
- Purposive sampling of 11 parents with first-time surgical waiting experiences for their children (≤16 years).
- Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted.
Main Results:
- Four themes emerged: care provision, parental concerns, coping strategies, and recommendations.
- Factors influencing experiences included pre-operative instructions, medical team professionalism, and communication timeliness.
- Parental concerns focused on surgical outcomes, complications, anesthesia, and post-operative pain; coping involved rest, smart devices, and social support.
Conclusions:
- Parental waiting during pediatric surgery is unsettling, highlighting the need for supportive interventions.
- Findings offer insights into parental needs, guiding improvements in hospital practices and technology adoption.
- Enhanced communication, environmental adjustments, and digital tools can improve the parental waiting experience.
