Abstract
This qualitative descriptive study was carried out with six mothers of children hospitalized in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), with the aim of identifying the role of the social network for them. The data was collected through observation and semi-structured interviews. Two categories emerged from the analysis of the data. First, the sharing of experiences as a mechanism of coping with pain and suffering, and second the support of the family in the hospitalization of the child. The results demonstrate the importance of the social support network, with emphasis on the family support and the network formed by the mothers of the hospitalized children. It was concluded that the encouragement of support groups consisting of mothers/caregivers of children hospitalized in the PICU is an essential strategy to cope with this difficult period in life. This is all the more important when these women cannot count on a social support network outside the hospital.
Highlights
Hospitalization is both a critical and delicate situation in everyone's life and even more so when it is a child
In order to reveal some aspects of this theme, the aim of the study was to understand the importance that mothers, accompanying the hospitalization of their children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), attach to the social support networks formed inside and outside the hospital, and how these support networks help the mothers overcome their difficulties during the hospitalization of the child
It was developed in order to understand the feelings, difficulties and ease experienced by mothers of children admitted to the PICU, as well as the process of their integration into the care of the hospitalized child
Summary
Hospitalization is both a critical and delicate situation in everyone's life and even more so when it is a child. The behavior and feelings of internal conflict that the mother develops commonly emerge in response to the trial of going through a difficult time in her life In these cases the support of close and caring people, who understand her, can give her the courage and hope to cope throughout the process of illness and hospitalization of the child. In other words, this relationship is established by different social agents who, in some way, offer support to the family and the individual, in order to minimize their suffering, contributing to the improvement in their quality of life[3]. In order to reveal some aspects of this theme, the aim of the study was to understand the importance that mothers, accompanying the hospitalization of their children in the PICU, attach to the social support networks formed inside and outside the hospital, and how these support networks help the mothers overcome their difficulties during the hospitalization of the child
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