Parents' and Staff Perceptions of Parental Needs During a Child's Hospital Admission: An Australian Study

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to identify parents' and staff perceptions of parents' needs during a hospital admission and relationships between needs, socio-demographic and clinical variables. Design and MethodsA cross-sectional descriptive design. Forty-six parents whose child received care and 17 staff who worked within a paediatric ward at a secondary hospital in Western Australia completed the Needs of Parents' Questionnaire in 2016. ResultsParent and staff perceptions of the importance of needs were congruent but differences arose between parents and staff on whether these needs were met and needed. Parents were more likely to rate needs as less important, more met and more needed than staff members. Demographic characteristics significantly influenced parents' and staff perceptions of parents' needs in hospital. ConclusionsStaff need to acknowledge that the parent and child's hospital trajectory and demographical characteristics can influence the parent and child's needs in hospital. For family centred healthcare delivery to be effective, care delivery needs to be aligned to what parents and children state their needs are at that time. Practice ImplicationsThis study has highlighted that future international collaborative research networks are needed to critique the concepts and clinical implications of FCC from a broader lens and recipients, deliverers and providers of healthcare need to be cognisance of contemporary FCC literature.