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Parents' experience of hospitalization: different strategies for feeling secure
I Kristensson-Hallström1, G Elander
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
Insights
Parents of boys hospitalized for hypospadias repair found security through three main strategies: relinquishing care, gaining control, or relying on their own knowledge. These strategies influenced their hospitalization experience and their child
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Psychology
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Hypospadias repair is a common pediatric surgical procedure.
- Parental experiences during a child's hospitalization significantly impact family well-being.
- Understanding parental coping strategies is crucial for improving pediatric healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the experiences of parents whose sons underwent hypospadias repair.
- To identify parental strategies for achieving security during hospitalization.
- To examine the relationship between parental strategies and their child's hospitalization experience.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of interviews with 20 parents of boys (ages 2-14) hospitalized for hypospadias repair in Sweden.
- Thematic analysis to identify common parental concerns and coping mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The primary parental concern was establishing security within the hospital environment.
- Three distinct parental security strategies emerged: relinquishing care, seeking control, and asserting knowledge of their child.
- Parental strategies correlated with their overall hospitalization experience and influenced children's pain perception and management.
Conclusions:
- Parental security is paramount during pediatric hospitalization for hypospadias repair.
- Tailoring hospital support to align with parental coping strategies can enhance the experience for both parents and children.
- Further research should explore interventions to support diverse parental needs in pediatric surgical settings.
Abstract:
Twenty parents of boys (ages 2-14 years) hospitalized for hypospadias repair in a pediatric surgery department in Sweden, were interviewed concerning their experience when their child was hospitalized. A qualitative analysis of the interviews indicated that the most important issue to the parents was finding security at the hospital. Parents manifested one of three different strategies that enabled them to feel secure at the hospital; (a) relinquishing the care of their children to the nursing staff; (b) obtaining a measure of control over their children's care; and (c) relying on knowing their child best. The parental strategy adopted to feel secure was found to correspond with the way parents experienced the hospitalization. Differences were found in their children's experiences of pain and the alleviation of the pain during the hospitalization.