The Effect of Parental Presence on Pain and Anxiety Levels During Invasive Procedures in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Abstract

Parental presence during invasive procedures is important in family-centered-care. Family-centered-care is a basic principle of pediatric nursing. This randomized controlled trial included data from 111 cases in the Pediatric Emergency Department of Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, during October 2016-January 2017 (parental involvement group, n = 40; parental presence group, n = 40; parental absence group, n = 31). Information form, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and Visual Analogue Scale were used to collect data. When children's pain levels before invasive procedures were compared, there was no significant difference between the groups (P > 0.05). Significant difference was found between pain levels of the groups during the process (P < 0.001). It was found that the pain levels of the children in the parental absence group (6.00 ± 2.88) were significantly higher than those in the parental involvement group (3.15 ± 2.79) and the parental presence group (3.70 ± 2.92) (P < 0.05). There was a weak, positive, and significant relationship between parents' trait anxiety levels and the preprocedural pain and trait anxiety levels of children in all groups (P < 0.05). Parental involvement is effective in reducing the pain felt during invasive procedures. Moreover, anxiety levels of children during the procedure were not affected in all groups; however, the children of parents with high trait anxiety levels had higher preprocedural pain and trait anxiety levels.