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Updated: Aug 8, 2025
An Experimental Paradigm for the Prediction of Post-Operative Pain PPOP
Published on: January 27, 2010
Communication, information, involvement and decision making: A systematic scoping review of child-parent-nurse
Ebru Bakir1, Michelle Briggs2,3, Carolyn Mackintosh-Franklin2
1Department of Paediatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
Weak child-parent-nurse relationships lead to poor postoperative pain management in children. Improving communication and defining roles are crucial for better pain care and outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nursing
- Pain Management
- Healthcare Communication
Background:
- Postoperative pain in children is frequently under-reported and undertreated globally.
- Child-parent-nurse relationships are a potential factor in pain management, yet reviews focusing on this are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on child-parent-nurse relationships during postoperative pain management.
- To examine communication, information exchange, and involvement in decision-making within these relationships.
Main Methods:
- A systematic scoping review was conducted using multiple databases (Medline, CINAHL, etc.) from 2000 to 2022.
- Data screening and extraction were performed by two independent reviewers, with thematic analysis for data interpretation.
- The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, adapted from Arksey and O'Malley and JBI frameworks.
Main Results:
- 37 studies met the inclusion criteria, primarily focusing on parent and nurse perspectives, with limited child perspectives.
- Key themes identified were communication, information dissemination, and involvement in decision-making.
- Child-nurse relationships were not explored in any of the included studies.
Conclusions:
- Deficiencies in child-parent-nurse relationships contribute to suboptimal postoperative pain management and prolonged pain in children.
- Barriers include children's communication hesitancy, nurses' limited communication skills, and parents' weak hospital communication position.
- Unclear roles and inadequate guidance reduce parental involvement, leading to untreated pain and strained relationships.
Aims:
To examine the existing literature on child-parent-nurse relationships (in relation to communication, information, and involvement and decision-making) during postoperative pain management.
Background:
Pain in children is under-reported and under-treated in hospitals and research has continued to report high rates of pain among hospitalised children worldwide. The role of child-parent-nurse relationships may be a factor and to date, no review has been identified that focus on these relationships during postoperative pain management.
Design:
A systematic scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley with further adaptations based on JBI.
Methods:
A systematic search for published primary studies was conducted using the Medline, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, PsycINFO, Science Direct and Web of Science in English from 2000 to 2022. Two reviewers independently carried out data screening and extraction and any differences were resolved with the assistance of a third reviewer. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and presented descriptively. This study followed the PRISMA-ScR Checklist.
Results:
A total of 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings mainly demonstrated a focus on the perspectives of parents and nurses with less on children's perspectives and none of the studies explored child-nurse relationships. The findings were categorised under three themes: communication, information, and involvement and decision making.
Conclusion:
A prevailing deficiency in child-parent-nurse relationships significantly contributed to suboptimal postoperative pain care, causing prolonged and untreated postoperative pain in children. Children's hesitation in communicating with nurses, the limited communication skills of nurses, and the weak communication position of parents in a hospital setting all hindered the development of strong relationships between children, parents, and nurses. The unclear definition of the roles of children and parents in postoperative pain management resulted in confusion for both parents and nurses. This was exacerbated by parents' lack of knowledge and inadequate guidance from nurses, ultimately leading to a decreased level of parental involvement in their child's postoperative pain management while in the hospital. Unattended requests for pain management caused children to experience prolonged pain and led to a deterioration in the relationship between parents and nurses, as well as a reduction in the parents' ability to provide pain care to their child.
Relevance To Clinical Practice:
This study highlights the reasons behind the suboptimal management of postoperative pain in children. The importance of the relationship between children, parents, and nurses in pain management must be acknowledged, and the results of this study may be used to inform improvements in nursing pain management practices.
No Patient Or Public Contribution:
Patient or public contribution is not a necessary stage in a systematic scoping review following Arksey and O'Malley's framework.
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