The needs of families in pediatric nursing from their own perspective.

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying the perception of families on their needs when experiencing the process of child hospitalization. Using the focal group technique, we carried out 11 meetings with a total of 36 family members. We analyzed the data obtained with Thematic Content Analysis and divided it into four categories: psychological exhaustion, changes in routine, hospital environment and support resources. From the given reports, we verified that family members’ needs are associated with problems regarding the hospital environment, health professionals, service dynamics, and the disease and hospitalization experience. We concluded that their demands are multidimensional, considering they comprise emotional and organizational matters associated with changes in routine. This way, the patient’s family companion needs to be considered in this process, which demands an effective interdisciplinary work, and the occupational therapist can be considered a potential professional to minimize the difficulties mentioned.