Family Centred

Care
Carol Hilliard
NPDC
2007

Overview of lecture
Definition of Family
Role of the family
Identify the members of a family

Family centred care (FCC)

Carol Hilliard 2007

What is a family?

Carol Hilliard 2007

What is a family?

Carol Hilliard 2007

What is a family?

Several interpretations of a family

Our interpretation often depends on our own
experience of family

In todays world we must be open to the many

types of families we meet.

Ultimately the family is defined by itself

Therefore as nurses, we need to establish who

is in the childs family
Carol Hilliard 2007

The Child in Hospital

Hospital can be new and frightening for children

Often, their families are the only familiar aspect

Hospital should not diminish the familys role in

childrens care.

FCC recognises that nursing care is most

effective if done in conjunction with the parents
Carol Hilliard 2007

Family-centred care (FCC)

Broadly defined as promoting a partnership
between the parents and healthcare
professionals in the care of the child
(Smith et al. 2002)

Carol Hilliard 2007

The family
Assess the family relationships:

Are both parents involved?

How many siblings in the family?

Are the grandparents etc. involved in the childs care?

Any other important people?

Will someone stay with the child in hospital?

Carol Hilliard 2007

Carol Hilliard 2007

The role of the nurse

Introduce yourself to the child & parents

Show the child & parents around the ward:

tell them about the hospital facilities

Ask parents if they:

slept well,
had breakfast, etc.

Explain the care the child will receive that day / night

Explain what you are going to do, for example, measure blood
pressure, dressing change

Ask parents what they would like to do

Ask them if they have any questions

Carol Hilliard 2007

Parents have a right to make decisions about

their child

Therefore:
Parents need to have information about
their childs condition, treatment and nursing care

Carol Hilliard 2007

Answering questions

Do not be afraid to say I do not know

when a child / parent asks a question

Tell child / parents I do not know but I will

get that information for you

Carol Hilliard 2007

Negotiation

Helping parents to be involved in their childrens care is

an important part of FCC

Nurses and parents need to decide who will perform the

care the child will need, for example:
- Showering the child
- Changing a wound dressing
- Feeding the child

How does the nurses routine suit the parents routine?

Carol Hilliard 2007

Family-Centered Care (FCC)

Remember: Parents do not know that they can

be involved in their childs care

Therefore, nurses must explain to them

But nurses should not expect parents to be

involved

Therefore, negotiate with the parents what they

can do and what they want to do
Carol Hilliard 2007

A common myth is that family centred care

involves the parents staying with their child in
hospital.

This is not true

Family centred care means that we support the

parents to be involved as much as possible in
the childs care

Carol Hilliard 2007

Reasons parents may not stay with

their child in hospital

Other children
Expense
Their job
Personal reasons
Others
Remember: it is not our job to judge parents

Carol Hilliard 2007

The cost of staying with

a child in hospital
Food
Parents accommodation
Transport
Possibly loss of earnings
Child-minders for other siblings
Telephone bills
Toys & treats for the sick child

Carol Hilliard 2007

Important Points

Parents are not extra or unpaid nurses and should never

be expected to replace nursing shortages

Parents should not be expected to be involved in their

childrens care - Parents can decide if they want to be
involved or not

Never assume that a parent will do something

Never judge parents because of your own personal

opinions

Carol Hilliard 2007

References

Battrick C. and Glasper E.A. (2002) The views of children and their families on being
in hospital, British Journal of Nursing 13(6), 328-336.

Callery P. (1997) Paying to participate: financial, social and personal costs to parents
of involvement in their childrens care in hospital, Journal of Advanced Nursing 25(4),
746-752.

Casey A. (1995) Partnership nursing: influences on involvement of informal carers,

Journal of Advanced Nursing 22(6), 1058-1062.

Children in Hospital Ireland (2002) The EACH Charter for children in hospital &
annotations, Children in Hospital Ireland, Dublin.

Coyne I.T. (1995) Partnership in care: parents' views of participation in their

hospitalised child's care, Journal of Clinical Nursing 4(2), 71-79.

Dudley S.K. and Carr J.M. (2004) Vigilance: the experience of parents staying at the
bedside of hospitalised children, Journal of Pediatric Nursing 19(4), 267-275.

Espezel H.J.E. and Canam C.J. (2003) Parentnurse interactions: care of

hospitalized children, Journal of Advanced Nursing 44(1), 34-41.
Carol Hilliard 2007

References

Friedman M (1998) Family nursing: theory and practice, 4th edition. Appleton-CenturyCrofts, Norwalk, CT, USA.

Lindsay B. (2001) Visitors and childrens hospitals, 1852-1948: a re-appraisal,

Paediatric Nursing 13(4), 20-24.

Lupton D. and Fenwick J. (2001) Theyve forgotten that Im the mum: constructing
and practising motherhood in special care nurseries, Social Science & Medicine 53,
10111021.

Shields L. and Tanner A. (2004) Costs of meals and parking for parents of
hospitalised children in Australia, Paediatric Nursing 16(6), 14-18.

Smith L., Coleman V. and Bradshaw M. (eds) (2002) Family-centred care: concept,
theory and practice, Palgrave, Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Valentine F. (1998) Empowerment: family-centred care, Paediatric Nursing 10(1), 247.

Wang K.W.K. and Barnard A. (2004) Technology-dependent children and their

families: a review, Journal of Advanced Nursing 45(1), 36-46.
Carol Hilliard 2007