Nurse anesthetist attitudes towards parental presence during anesthesia induction- a nationwide survey.

Abstract

To describe nurse anesthetists' attitudes towards the importance of parental presence during their child's anaesthesia induction and to explore associating factors. A cross-sectional design. Nurse anesthetists from 55 Swedish hospitals were asked to participate (n=1,285). A total of 809 completed the questionnaire, Families' Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses' Attitudes (FINC-NA) during 2018. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis. Nurse anesthetists generally had a positive attitude towards the importance of parental presence. They reported a more positive attitude in family as a resource in nursing care (median=40) followed by family as a conversational partner (median=25), family not as a burden (median=17) and family as its own resource (median=13). Multiple linear regression analyses showed that working in a district hospital, working only with children, having routines/memorandum about parental presence, being a woman, allowing both parents to be present in their child's anaesthesia and greater experience of children's anesthesia, were associated with a more positive attitude. This nationwide survey contributes important knowledge for understanding nurse anesthetists' attitudes and the result shows that nurse anesthetists generally have a positive attitude towards the importance of parents. Areas of improvement were, however, identified; the nurses tend to not value family as its own resource and family as a conversational partner highly. Nurse anesthetists have a crucial role in children's anesthesia care since the quality of parental presence experience depends on a positive attitude from the nurses. Parental involvement is important to establish a child-centered anaesthesia care, which should be highlighted in the education of nurse anesthetists. Parental involvement should also be addressed in healthcare policies and routines should be established.