Viewpoints Of Mothers Research Articles

Mothers' and teachers' experience of school re‐entry after a child's prolonged absence due to severe illness

AbstractSchool re‐entry of children who have been absent from school due to severe illness is a complex process and requires effort and adjustment from the child and his parents, teachers, school systems, and classmates. To contribute to the understanding and accuracy of the school re‐entry process of ill children, and to the development of re‐entry programs in Israel, the present study examined the re‐entry experience from the viewpoint of mothers and teachers. The study included 27 semi‐structured interviews with mothers and teachers of children who re‐entered school after a prolonged absence due to childhood cancer. The study findings suggest that changes in the child's self‐perception, physical limitations brought on by the illness, as well as social difficulties, and altered academic abilities make it very difficult to re‐enter school. School re‐entry is more optimal when the sick child's relationship with the teacher and classmates is maintained during the absence, and when it is tailored and continuous learning support from the school. These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining an ongoing relationship during the ill child's absence from school and setting a clear re‐entry plan by the school in accordance with the child and his parents.

The Viewpoint of Mothers on Pain Management in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

The Viewpoint of Mothers on Pain Management in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Comparison of Nurses and Parents' Viewpoints Regarding the Needs of Parents of Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

Background:The birth of a premature infant and her/his hospitalization can cause the parents to experience a variety of needs. Understanding the needs of parents by nurses can lead to provision of high quality care to premature infants. This study aimed to compare the parents’ and nurses’ viewpoints regarding parents’ needs in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU).Materials and Methods:In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 63 nurses, 120 mothers, and 120 fathers, who met the inclusion criteria, participated. Nurses were selected through a census method and parents through a simple convenience sampling method. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive-analytic statistical methods in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 16.Results:From the viewpoint of mothers, the need for assurance with a mean score of 87.4 was the most important and the need for support with a mean score of 71.37 was the least important need. From the perspective of fathers, the need for assurance with a mean score of 78.5 was the most important and the need for support with a mean score of 51.20 was the least important need. From the viewpoint of the nurses, the need for assurance with a mean score of 77.6 was the most important and the need for support with a mean score of 59.77 was the least important need. The mean scores of the needs of mothers in all subscales were higher than that of the fathers’ and nurses’ (P < 0.001).Conclusions:From the viewpoint of nurses, the scores of parents’ needs were significantly less than that of the parents’ for all subscales. It is suggested that appropriate education programs be provided for nurses regarding how they can understand parents’ needs to provide high quality care.

The Cultural Meaning of Children Sleeping Outdoors in Finnish Winter

Little is known about children sleeping outdoors in a northern winter climate, although it is a common practice in northern countries. The article describes the cultural meaning of this child care practice from the viewpoint of mothers. Explorative descriptive study design was adopted and unstructured interviews were processed by qualitative content analysis. Twenty-one mothers of families in northern Finland participated. Family, cultural outdoor sleeping practice and northern winter environment constituted compatibility, which consisted of four generic categories: strengthening family well-being through outdoor sleeping, taking notice of security perspectives, adaptation to the northern winter environment, and cultural knowledge-building processes. Family well-being was strengthened through outdoor sleeping of children when all security perspectives were first taken into account. Families were adapted to the northern winter environment and cultural knowledge was built. A fit was found between families, cultural child care practice, and northern winter environment constituting a coherent whole.

Bringing together viewpoints of mothers and health workers to enhance monitoring and promotion of growth and development of children: a case study from the Republic of Congo.

In 1996, the Government of the Republic of Congo launched a pilot project to improve the child growth and development component of primary healthcare. The present study was carried out (i) to explore perceptions and practices of mothers and health workers regarding child growth, health, and development, and (ii) to design culturally-appropriate tools to enhance their monitoring and promotion. The study was carried out in two randomly-selected health centres in Brazzaville. Qualitative data collected included 16 focus-group discussions with 174 mothers, two focus-group discussions with 18 health workers, and 20 individual interviews with paediatricians or psychologists. The health workers reported that the main indicator of child growth was weight, while the mothers used broader concepts for evaluating growth and development of their toddlers. A strategy encompassing anthropometrics, developmental milestones, and acquisition of social skills was elaborated to enhance communication between health workers and mothers. A new growth chart was designed, and a new calendar of systematic visits, including key tasks and messages, was established. However, these new tools derived from the formative research still need to be carefully tested.