Do nurses and parents of children with chronic conditions agree on parental needs?

Nurses who work in partnership with parents in pediatric settings are encouraged to base nursing intervention decisions on mutually defined priorities and goals. In this study, 38 parents and 13 nurses affiliated with 10 ambulatory programs in one children's hospital were surveyed using modified versions of the Bailey and Simeonsson (1988a) Family Needs Survey to compare their assessments of parental needs. Although nurses and parents identified many of the same needs related to information, support, and community services, there were some differences particularly in prioritization. Only nurses identified needs related to family functioning. Parents generally scored items lower than their nurses did and expressed fewer actual needs for themselves, suggesting that nurses may concentrate more on parents' deficits than on their strengths. Strengthening parents in their roles of primary care givers occurs when nurses, in collaboration with parents, accurately assess parental needs and negotiate appropriate interventions.