Research: Listening to kids about nursing care | Patient Centered Care and Trauma Informed Care for Pediatric Patients

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress

What do kids in the hospital think about their nurses? Here’s another great study that listens to the perspectives of children and youth in the hospital.

What do kids in the hospital think about their nurses? Here’s another great study that listens to the perspectives of children and youth in the hospital. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio interviewed nearly 500 hospitalized children and youth (age 6 to 21) about their experiences.

In answer to the question “What do you like most about your nurses and what they do for you, and how does that make you feel?”, the top themes (mentioned by at least 20% of participants) were:

Gives me what I need when I need it
Checks on me often
Talks, listens to me
Nice, friendly
Gives me medicine
Gives me things to do
Helps me do things

These things made them feel good, happy, safe, cared about, not so nervous, more comfortable, “like I am special”.

Participants were also asked “What don’t you like about your nurses and what they do for you, and how does that make you feel?”

Three top themes (mentioned by at least 20% of participants):

Does things to me that hurt or are uncomfortable
Wakes me up
Doesn’t give me what I need when I need it

Kids reported that these things made them feel sad, bad, mad, scared, uncomfortable, “like they don’t care about me”.

What would YOU like to ask pediatric patients about their experiences?

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