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Parents' views of caring for children with gastrostomies
Insights
Improved information and care are crucial for families managing gastrostomy feeding devices in children. Addressing parental concerns enhances pediatric nursing practice and ensures optimal child and family support.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Nursing Care
- Patient Education
Background:
- Gastrostomy feeding devices are increasingly utilized in pediatric surgical units.
- Current care and information provided to families require review to meet evolving needs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess areas for improvement in the care and information provided to children and families using gastrostomy feeding devices.
- To identify common challenges faced by parents in managing pediatric gastrostomy care.
Main Methods:
- A literature review was conducted to inform the study.
- A self-report questionnaire was developed based on parents' perceptions to gather data.
Main Results:
- Findings indicated a need for enhanced information delivery to all caregivers involved in a child's gastrostomy care.
- Key challenges encountered by parents caring for children with gastrostomy devices were identified.
Conclusions:
- There is a significant need to improve the quality and consistency of information provided to families of children with gastrostomy devices.
- Paediatric nurses must adapt to changes in gastrostomy device management to ensure optimal patient and family outcomes.
Abstract:
Gastrostomy feeding devices are becoming increasingly popular. With their increased use in the paediatric surgical unit, it became apparent that care and information given to children and their families were in need of review. Following a literature review, a self-report questionnaire was developed to assess areas for change, based on parents' perceptions. The findings suggested that information given to all those involved in the child's care needed to be improved, and identified the most common problems experienced by parents when caring for a child with a gastrostomy. The findings had implications for future practice and highlighted the need for paediatric nurses to keep pace with change in order to ensure optimum care for children and their families.