1. Care of the Hospitalized Child
Terri Mathew RN, BSN
Nurse Educator

2. Implementation Strategies
Allow rooming-in for parents/caregiver of all children
Include parent/caregiver in the patient’s care as appropriate
Flexible visiting hours for parents/caregivers
Make the child’s environment welcoming and familiar
Acknowledge there are varying types of family units

3. Role of the Nurse
Create an environment conducive to maintaining family strength, integrity and unity
Support parents/caregivers as they decide to stay with their child or not
Develop trusting, goal directed relationships with families
Observe the parent-child relationship
Teach parents knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary to function effectively with hospitalized child
Help parents adapt to the situation

4. Environment conducive to maintaining family strength, integrity and unity
Maintain a positive nurse-parent-child relationship
Include siblings in planning interventions
Supplement the family’s abilities and role while achieving the common goal of the child’s welfare

5. Assist parents with decision making about when to stay with their child
Parent/caregiver’s presence is especially important if the child is age 5 or younger if they are able. If they are not able to stay maintain a nonjudgmental and supportive approach
Parent/caregiver’s decision are influenced by needs of other family members

6. Develop trusting, goal directed relationships with families
Obtain a thorough nursing history
Plan mutual realistic goals with the family
Recognize and acknowledge the care the child receives from the parents/caregiver

7. Observe the parent-child relationship
Evaluate the degree of participation and effectiveness of the parents in physical and emotional care
Observe the parents’/caregiver’s attitudes, skills and techniques provided to the child and the child’s response to them
Assess what teaching needs to be done
Detect & respond to actual and potential problems in the parent-child relationship

8. Information provided by Lippincott Manual Found on the nursing unit or on the intranet