Navigating the storm: Parental experiences and needs in pediatric emergency surgery - A qualitative descriptive study

To explore the experiences, practical and informational needs of caregivers with children undergoing emergency surgery.

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted with ten caregivers of children undergoing emergency surgery at a public tertiary hospital. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling. Data collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews were analyzed with thematic analysis.

Four main themes emerged: (1) Factors affecting parental feelings about child's condition; (2) Parental understanding and behaviors; (3) Perception of care affected by prior experience and current hospital processes; and (4) Importance of resources and support systems. While parents expressed satisfaction with information provided by healthcare workers, many sought additional information from online resources, family and friends who have had similar experiences. Regular, clear and timely communication of information was pivotal in enhancing parental experience. Persistent pain or fever experienced while awaiting investigations or surgery was perceived as worsening of the medical condition caused by unnecessary delay. Alleviating the child's discomfort, providing emotional and practical caregiving support reduces parental anxiety. Trust in the hospital and healthcare team, influenced by past experiences, helped parents cope better.

The unpredictable nature of emergency surgery caused significant stress for parents, especially when the child experienced discomfort. Parental experience was improved when hospitals streamlined admission processes, enhanced interprofessional healthcare communication, provided personalized caregiver support, and ensured effective symptom management for children.

Study findings can inform targeted interventions to enhance caregiver support, optimize healthcare processes, and address practical and informational gaps in pediatric emergency surgical care.