Abstract
Background: The hospitalisation of a child is a stressful event for parents. Parents who are also nurses may face additional challenges not encountered by other parents; yet, scant attention has been given to this issue in the literature. Aim: To explore the experiences of Nurse-Parents whose children were hospitalised for acute illnesses. Methods/Design: Using a case-study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six registered nurses and thematically analysed. Results/Findings: Nurse-Parents experienced significant conflicts between their parental role and nurse persona as they were ‘torn between dual roles’. Nurse-Parents’ specialised knowledge prompted them to elevate the care their child needed, leading to increased stress and anxiety as they struggled to balance these roles. Conclusion: Nurse-Parents want and need a different type of input into their children’s care than non-nurse-parents. An increased awareness among healthcare professionals is the first step to ensuring that effective and individualised support is provided to Nurse-Parents.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 274-285 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Contemporary Nurse |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 2-3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2015 |
Keywords
- Case study
- Dual role
- Nurse-Family Member
- Nurse-Parent
- Nursing
- Paediatrics
- Parent experience
- Qualitative research