Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing
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Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs · Jan 2012
Taking care of my baby: mexican-american mothers in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The admission of an infant to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can produce significant stress for mothers and may contribute to a difficult transition following discharge. Past research has primarily focused on Caucasian women. Mexican-Americans are the fastest growing ethnic population in the U.S. with the highest fertility rate; therefore, the purpose of this grounded theory study was to gain a better understanding of the NICU experience for Mexican-American mothers. ⋯ These findings offer insight for neonatal nurses who provide care for Mexican-American NICU mothers and may help inform their practice. Further research is needed with this growing population to ensure supportive nursing care and influence positive outcomes.
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Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs · Jan 2012
Maladaptive behaviors of children with autism: parent support, stress, and coping.
The estimated prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one in 88. Autism Spectrum Disorders are nearly five times more common among boys than girls. Children with autism may develop a variety of socially unacceptable maladaptive behaviors beyond the defining symptoms of the spectrum disorder. ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that parents of children with autism report that their children have clinically significant maladaptive behaviors. Healthcare providers could use results from this study to provide appropriate intervention for maladaptive behaviors to support children with autism and their families.
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Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs · Jan 2012
Families of children with autism: behaviors of children, community support and coping.
The diagnosis of autism for children (from birth to age 21) continues to increase, with the current rate being 1 in 110 children in the US. Besides financial strain, families often experience reduced quality of life due to disruptive behaviors related to autism. Research indicates that social support for families of children with autism improves family coping and adaptation. ⋯ Findings of this study indicate an association between increased community supports and increased family coping strategies (r=.451; p=.005). Results also suggest the levels of disruptive behaviors associated with autism vary, community support can be but is not always helpful, and that the family's ability to cope with the challenges of autism is important to the family.
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Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs · Jan 2011
The relationships among adaptive behaviors of children with autism, family support, parenting stress, and coping.
As the number of children diagnosed with autism continues to rise, resources must be available to support parents of children with autism and their families. Parents need help as they assess their unique situations, reach out for help in their communities, and work to decrease their stress levels by using appropriate coping strategies that will benefit their entire family. ⋯ An association between low adaptive functioning in children with autism and increased parenting stress creates a need for additional family support as parents search for different coping strategies to assist the family with ongoing and new challenges. Professionals should have up-to-date knowledge of the supports available to families and refer families to appropriate resources to avoid overwhelming them with unnecessary and inappropriate referrals.
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Issues Compr Pediatr Nurs · Jan 2011
Preschoolers' knowledge about hospital and emergency equipment and care.
Information about preschoolers' understanding of hospital and emergency care and medical equipment is needed. ⋯ Findings indicated that preschool-age children had more accurate knowledge of an emergency care as opposed to a hospital scenario. Also, young children tended to recount their experiences when discussing what they knew, supporting the idea that they acquire schemas for this information. Parents tended to overestimate their children's knowledge. Children did not mention school as a place where they learned about hospital care and those health professionals working in school settings may be uniquely positioned to teach young children about hospital care. Children may absorb more information in this environment, and assessing whether this is true remains an area for future research.