BACKGROUND/PROBLEM: According to the research, families feel that their presence during resuscitation is valuable to their understanding of the situation and that the patient benefits from their presence. However this isn't the case in a pediatric emergency department. Concerns remain that affect their willingness to participate even though research identifies that staff supports the concept of family presence
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore staff support of family presence during pediatric resuscitation in a pediatric ED.
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK: Fishbein's Attitude Development framework, the concept of family-centered care and findings from the literature review served as the basis for the conceptual framework. The model proposed a relationship between selected demographics of the staff such as age, sex, parental status and occupation and support for family presence.
METHOD: This study used a descriptive correlational design to examine staff support specifically the relationships between staff support and selected demographic characteristics. Data was collected from 68 hospital staff of a Midwest pediatric emergency department using a revised version of the Parkland Hospital Survey. FINDINGS: There was a significant relationship between job class, educational level, sex and support of family presence during resuscitation in a pediatric ED (p<.01). Physicians ranked the lowest in support. Comments revealed that staff felt that family presence offers the family the opportunity to see that everything possible was done.
CONCLUSION: The highest level of support for family presence was by the nursing staff but there remains reservation by other health care staff. Most felt that there is a need for a designated support person for the family at all times.
Session #1223 - Graduate Student Poster Session
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)