• Susan Khanna, Julie K Finlay, Vishal Jatana, Ann M Gouffe, and Sarah Redshaw.
• 1Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia.
• Pediatr Crit Care Me. 2016 Apr 1; 17 (4): e154-8.

ObjectiveTo explore parents' experiences of "observed trauma," defined as traumatic events, unrelated to their own child, that parents/carers witness while in a PICU.DesignExploratory qualitative study.SettingNineteen-bed mixed surgical/medical PICU in a tertiary university-affiliated children's hospital.ParticipantsParents of 11 children, screened from a total sample of 100 children admitted to the PICU for greater than 48 hours.InterventionsFace-to-face screening interviews were conducted with parents following their child's discharge from PICU. Parents who reported observed trauma were interviewed a second time to explore their experiences.Measurements And Main ResultsTwo questionnaires were designed, one to screen for observed trauma and a second one to guide semistructured interviews. Of 100 parents who participated in a structured screening interview, 19% reported observed trauma. Of the 19 parents, 11 completed the second interview. Significant themes included: involuntary exposure; privacy and confidentiality; empathy for children and their families; reflection and personal growth; and staff communication.ConclusionsObserved trauma is not uncommon in the PICU. The results suggest that timely support may alleviate the short-term negative impact. Furthermore, some parents have reported positive aspects to their experience.

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