Journal of pediatric nursing
-
Meta Analysis
Mothers' experiences of having a preterm infant in the neonatal care unit: a meta-synthesis.
Neonatal nurses today are challenged not only to provide the best possible developmental care for a preterm infant but also to help the mother through an uncertain motherhood toward a feeling of being a real mother for her preterm baby. An increasing interest in mothers' experiences of having a preterm baby is seen. A meta-synthesis of 14 qualitative research studies on mothers' experiences of having a preterm baby in the neonatal intensive care unit, published from 2000 onward, was conducted. ⋯ The meta-synthesis revealed five metaphors that captured the mothers' experiences. These metaphors centered on reciprocal relationships that consisted of mother-baby relationship ("from their baby to my baby"), maternal development (a striving to be a real normal mother), the turbulent neonatal environment (from foreground to background), maternal caregiving and role reclaiming strategies (from silent vigilance to advocacy), and mother-nurse relationship (from continuously answering questions through chatting to sharing of knowledge). Implications of the meta-synthesis for neonatal nursing are addressed.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Imagery-induced relaxation in children's postoperative pain relief: a randomized pilot study.
This study aimed to test the efficacy of imagery and relaxation in hospitalized children's postoperative pain relief. Sixty children aged 8-12 years who had undergone appendectomy or upper/lower limb surgery and had been randomly assigned to the experimental group (n(1) = 30) listened to an imagery trip CD, whereas those in the control group (n(2) = 30) received standard care. An investigator-developed questionnaire was used, and the intensity of pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale: before (Phase 1), immediately after (Phase 2), and 1 hour after (Phase 3) intervention or standard care. ⋯ The type and time of operation were related to pain intensity in children. The nurses underestimated the pain of pediatric patients. The imagery trip CD can be used to reduce children's postoperative pain in a hospital setting, although its effect is short-lasting.
-
Fifty-four thousand children die each year despite the advances in care for children with acute and chronic illnesses. Demands for improved palliative and end-of-life care for children exist. Good death is a concept frequently used in the adult hospice movement. However, how can the death of a child be good? Analysis of good death can assist pediatric nurses to understand the concept and provide a framework for nurses in the clinical and research arenas to work together to develop and provide evidence-based, developmentally appropriate care for dying children and their families.
-
Comparative Study
Interpretation of the large red-and-white visual analog scale by children compared with adults.
The red-and-white visual analog scale (VAS) is a modification of the traditional VAS. The purpose of this study was to compare how children of various ages and adults rate their anticipatory pain intensity on the red-and-white VAS. ⋯ The medians and ranges describing mild, moderate, and severe pain, or pain intensity at which medicine would be requested, did not differ between preschool children, young schoolchildren, and adolescents or between children and adults. The median score of anticipated need for pain medication was 50% of the maximum for children.