Patients and Family Centred Care

This article discusses the concept of patients and family centred care in pediatric situations and highlights the importance of collaboration between nurses and parents. It explores the benefits of this approach and compares it to traditional models of pediatric care. The article also provides strategies for reducing the negative impacts of hospitalization on children and emphasizes the role of participation in patient and family centred care.

Running head: PATIENTS AND FAMILY CENTRED CARE
Patients and Family Centred Care
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1PATIENTS AND FAMILY CENTRED CARE
Child illness has devastating effect on the both the child and families. Recently,
patients and family centred care has been adopted in paediatric care to improve the
effectiveness of the paediatric patients (Butler, Copnell & Willetts, 2014). This philosophy is
based on the collaboration of nurses, child’s family, and hospital to provide, evaluate a plan
for the respective patients. Parents of children are the most expert person and nurses should
work with the family to provide the most effective care plan (Shields, 2015). The parents are
also the most important part in the children’s life. Therefore, the presence of parents during
the care plan will reduce the distress of the child as well as the parents. It will also reduce the
anxiety level of the parents which will in turn reduce the pressure and anxiety on the health
care professionals (Butler, Copnell & Willetts, 2014). Therefore, the basic concept of this
philosophy is to attend the need of the both child and the parents in order to maximize the
effectiveness of the treatment outcomes of the children. There are many benefits of the
parents and family centred care in paediatric situation (Gill, 2014). One of them is that the
parents and family centred care enhances the respective child’s well- being and growth. In
order to that collaboration is needed between parents and the nurses as well as working
together. Working in collaboration will help the nurses to make much more informed
decisions for the treatment of the child which will be ultimately beneficial for the child
(Finlayson et al., 2014). Another aspect of this parents and family centred care is that to
provision of support and encouragement to the child’s parents. Not only this reduce the
anxiety and distress of the unfortunate parents, support and encouragement will help the
parents to take better child which will ultimately helpful to the child. On the other hand,
nurses will have greater understanding and insights of the child’s life which will help them
make better decision to develop the care plan of respective children. This will also allow the
nurses to better showcase the skills and understanding which can be helpful for the treatment
of the child. Hence, this collaboration will empower the nurses, health care staff, and the

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family to provide best possible care for the children. Many of the practices presented above in
the parents and family centred care was lacking in the traditional models of the paediatric
care. For instance, family of the child was generally neglected during the traditional model of
the paediatric care (Shaul, 2014). Form the above discussion, it can be seen that the support
and encouragement ultimately helpful with the regard to well- being of the children which
was not addressed in the traditional model of paediatric care. Another aspect that was not
included in the traditional model of paediatric care was that the collaboration and
incorporation of parents in the care process of their children (Shaul, 2014). It can be seen
from the above discussion that the involving the parents ultimately helpful for the children
and it helps make nurses better decision for the care plan of the children. Hence, it can be
stated that the parents and family centred care is an improvement on the traditional model of
the paediatric care. Studies have also pointed to the same direction and it has been reported
that the children have made less fuss, cried less, become less agitated, and required less
medicine while their parents are involved in care plan (Dudley et al., 2015). In addition, it has
also been reported in the published journal that parents who were encouraged and
emotionally supported by the health care professionals (Smith, Swallow & Coyne, 2015).
Thus, it can be said that the parents and family centred care approach is far better in
comparison with the traditional model of paediatric care and it should be implemented in
every childcare situation.
Two major and key component of the parents and family centred care are
empowerment and enabling. These are key concepts which should be kept in mind by the
nurses while providing support to the affected family. Empowerment can be defined as the
sense of control over the situation by the affected children’s parents during the treatment of
their children (Dunst & Espe-Sherwindt, 2016). On the other hand, enabling can be defined
as the provision of the opportunity the affected children’s parent to showcase their skills as

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well as learning new techniques and skills (Umberger, Canvasser & Hall, 2018). In order to
implement these two key concepts, nurses must identify a family’s strengths and weaknesses.
After that nurses should help the families to build on their strength and weaknesses.
Sometimes a simple reassurance to the parents that the best possible measure is taken in
regard to their child is made huge difference. On the other hand, involving parents in the
decision making situation makes them gain a sense of control over situation. It will make the
parents less anxious and more confident and in control of the situation (Dalvand, Rassafiani
& Bagheri, 2014). Both of these aspect can be provided by the health professionals to the
parents which will in turn make them take better care for their children. Implementing these
concept in the way of parents and family centred care will improve the quality of treatment
and parent’s satisfaction in hospital and primary health care settings.
The Patient and Family Centred Care principle considered in the given scenario for
the comparison of the two case studies is Participation (P&FCC). According to the principles
of P&FCC, delivery of efficient health care is mainly based on the various partnerships
between families, patients, as well as people who are involved in the primary care given to
the children and family (Boykins, 2014). In the first case study involving Thomas and his
family it is evident that Thomas has been suffering from illness due to which he has been
admitted to the paediatric ward. Tanya, the mother of the siblings, takes care of her children
alone and supports them showing active participation during cases requiring active care and
support to her family member. She is a single mother and takes care of all the responsibilities
of her children as their father only comes during weekends. In the second case study, it is
seen that Alex is a 16 year old patient who has been admitted in the paediatric ward.
Although his parents and other visitors come to see him every day, there is lack of support
and effective care which is usually given through effective participation. Participation is an
important aspect which is considered in the principles of patient and family centred care

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(Feinberg, 2014). Direct communication is one of the ways the nurse should involve patient
and his family with (Dykes et al., 2014). In the case study, it can be seen that the mother
becomes distressed during administration of drugs to Thomas and leaves the room. Thus the
nurse should enhance the communication of the mother and the child for effective care and
recovery of Thomas. This is in contrast with the second case where the nurse should initiate
effective communication between the parents and child in the form of help and support which
would help him to recover fast. It has been seen that he has difficulty in removing the naso-
gastric tube. Thus, his parents should help him in keeping the tube for the effective
functioning of the apparatus. This active participation should be advocated by the nurse
which would enhance effectiveness in participation for family and patient centred approach.
The nurse should also make the families of the patient aware of their duties and possess the
required skills as well as knowledge for increasing the participation. The nurse should also
try to impose a cultural shift which would support the engagement of care given to the
patients, Thomas and Alex in this case. Moreover, she should also ensure that the behaviour
of the parents towards their children changes which otherwise is disruptive for effective
participation (Newell & Jordan, 2015). Thomas has shown symptoms indicative of poor
feeding, which is a stark contrast to Alex, whose parents visit him and carry food every day
for the maintenance of his diet. The nurse should make sure Thomas is provided with a
balanced diet by his mother as a preventive measure for the decline in his health. Moreover,
the nurse should incorporate strict regimen for provision of care for Thomas more than Alex,
keeping their age differences in mind.
In the first case study, it can be seen that Thomas is a three year old child who has
been admitted to the hospital for tachypnoea, cough, and wheeze. The three strategies which
can be implemented for reducing the negative impacts of hospitalization of the child by the
nurse are intimation of the medical procedures in an informal way, distraction form the

5PATIENTS AND FAMILY CENTRED CARE
medical procedures, and providing the opportunities for control as well as choice of some
procedures (Rusch et al., 2014). Children are usually prone to the negative effects of
hospitalization than the patients of other age groups. Children are usually scared during
illness and in such cases they become dependent on the environment for their safety and
stability. Moreover, they are in need for the support and care of the family members and thus
feel scared of the concept of being treated in a hospital.
Considering the first reduction strategy, since Thomas is only a three year child, he
should be intimidated about the various medical procedures by the nurse in an informal and
friendly manner. This would help in the reduction of pain psychologically after being
informed about upcoming treatment procedures. Moreover children at the age of three are
have developed the skills of self-help so they should be encouraged about the various
procedures to be undertaken especially for respiratory disorder which Thomas has been
suffering from (Nicklauschildrens.org, 2019).
Secondly, since he has been suffering from disorders at a very small age he might be
scared by the concept of hospitalization. So, the nurse should distract him with various
strategies. She should incorporate some playful activities like blowing bubbles or sing songs
to distract Thomas psychologically. Moreover, she should give him the toys and games he
play at home and establish a strong interaction between him and her family members for
making him comfortable and relaxed at home. This would enhance the psychological impact
of Thomas on the concept of hospitalization which he finds intimidating due to his early age.
Parents are the most important components of a family. Thus the nurse should involve the
cooperation of his mother while encouraging Thomas to undergo the treatment procedures
with ease.

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The third effective strategy for comforting Thomas would be providing him
with various opportunities during the treatment procedures. For an instance, the nurse should
ask the flavour of the medicine he should be administered with. Moreover, she should make
the treatment arrangements colourful, for example she should introduce colourful bed sheets
in his room and ask him his favourite colour for encouraging him and making him feel at
home in a positive way. Moreover, the nurse should consult her mother at every step of the
treatment procedures for knowing the issues or cases where Thomas might feel irritated.
Moreover proper consultation with the patient should make her informed about the adverse
effects of the medication for example, salbutamol which he is administered with.

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