Parental Role Alteration Research Articles

Parent and nurse perceptions of parent stressors in the pediatric intensive care unit.

This study examined parent and nurse perceptions of parent stressors in a pediatric intensive care unit using the Parental Stressor Scale: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PSS:PICU) and standardized interviews of parents. A total of 41 parents and 34 nurses participated. Nurses expected parents to be more stressed by every dimension of the PSS:PICU than parents rated their own stress. Parents felt most stressed by the dimension relating to their child's behavioral and emotional responses, although nurses expected parents to be most concerned about staff communication and parental role alteration issues. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Parents' reactions to pediatric critical care settings: a review of the literature.

The literature was reviewed to identify parents' reactions to pediatric critical care settings and interventions to facilitate parental adaptation. A number of descriptive accounts and several empirical studies indicated that crisis and mourning reactions occur. The literature suggested the following parental reactions to crisis: shock, high anxiety, fear, withdrawal, denial, and anger. Parental mourning was interpreted as grieving for loss of a healthy child. Parental behaviors varied from hesitancy to approach the bedside to touching and stroking the child. Specific parental stressors were identified and categorized as follows: sights and sounds, child's appearance, child's behavior and emotions, staff communication, staff behaviors, procedures, parental role alteration, and unmet parental needs. Interventions to facilitate parental adaptation were preparation for admission, communication, visitation, assessment, crisis intervention, and participation in care. None of the interventions was supported wit...