Parental support needs during pediatric resuscitation: A systematic review

Resuscitation of a child is one of the most critical times that parents need support, and parental support is fundamental to providing family-centered care in high acuity settings. The aim of this systematic review was to appraise and synthesize studies conducted to examine the support needs of parents during resuscitation of their child from their own perspective.

The PRISMA model guided the systematic literature search of Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and Ovid for studies published until the end of 2020. Keywords used were: family support, family-centered care, family needs, resuscitation, CPR, children, neonatal, pediatric, family presence, family-witnessed, and parents.

There were 787 articles located. After reviewing for relevancy, 21 articles met criteria and were included in this review. Findings indicate the needs of parents during resuscitation of their child include: Spiritual and cultural support; Communication with the child before and after resuscitation; Professional behavior from staff; Receiving information; Presence at resuscitation; Trust in the resuscitation team; and Having physical and mental needs met.

Parents have differing support needs when their child is resuscitated in the hospital, and meeting these needs is critical for providing family-centered care.