Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community
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J Child Health Care · Mar 2004
Parents' and staff's perceptions of parental needs during a child's admission to hospital: an English perspective.
The aim of this research was to compare perceptions of parental needs held by parents of hospitalized children and the staff caring for them, so that potential communication breakdown could be avoided. A well-trialled tool was used with a convenience sample in paediatric facilities in a National Health Service trust in north-east England. ⋯ Parents declared themselves more independent than the staff perceived them to be. Such findings facilitate improvements in communication between parents and staff and can be included in education programmes for both.