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The experience of critically ill children: narratives of unmaking
1Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Montreal Children's Hospital, Quebec, Canada.
Insights
Critically ill children undergo a profound process of unmaking and remaking, transforming their identities. This journey is deeply influenced by relationships, highlighting the need for relational critical care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric critical care
- Phenomenological research
- Child psychology
Background:
- Understanding the lived experience of critically ill children is crucial for improving care.
- Previous research has not fully captured the transformative nature of critical illness in children.
Observation:
- Seventeen critically ill children were observed over 3 months to 5 years.
- The study focused on the children's subjective experiences throughout their illness trajectory.
Findings:
- The experience of critical illness was characterized as a dynamic process of 'unmaking' and 'remaking'.
- This transformative process involved a reconstitution of the child's sense of self.
- The child's relationships with significant others profoundly shaped these phenomena.
Implications:
- Findings underscore the importance of 'relational' critical care approaches for children.
- Healthcare providers should consider the relational context in pediatric critical care.
- Interventions should support the child's and family's relational needs during critical illness.
Abstract:
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the experience of critically ill children. Seventeen children were followed through the course of their trajectory for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 5 years. This experience was characterised as a process of unmaking and remaking of the children. This process typically involved a transformation (a reconstitution) of the child. These phenomena were shaped within the child's relationships with significant others. This raises important implications for fostering 'relational' critical care for children.