Experience of Primary Caregivers' of Critical...

Experience of Primary Caregivers' of Critically Ill Children Admitted in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Tertiary Hospital, South India: A Qualitative Investigation

Author Name : Shanthi Gladston, Vinitha Ravindran

ABSTRACT

Admission to an intensive care unit can be traumatic for both the child and parents. Parents experience significantly more stress when the admission is unexpected rather than expected. According to Colville et al. the Pediatric intensive care unit is a highly stressful environment for most parents. Having one's child admitted to a PICU is difficult for parents. The very criteria for admission to a PICU are frightening and can realistically prompt fear that their child could die or become severely disabled. Further, the needs of parents as caregivers of their children often go unnoticed. Parents of children in PICU are likely to experience a loss of parenting role, getting blamed for their child's condition, not being able to visit the child frequently, lack of social, financial, and personal support, and lack of communication from the health team members. Understanding caregivers' experiences during their children's stay in the PICU can identify the barriers to enhancing nursing care services. The study aimed to explore the experiences of primary caregivers of critically ill children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. The researcher used a phenomenological approach to explore the experiences of primary caregivers of critically ill children. Participants willing to share their experiences were purposively selected and included in the study. Six mothers and four fathers of critically ill children participated in the interview.